It’s a first for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The state agency known for it’s environmental protection efforts has bought its first “green” vehicle.There are hundreds of vehicles in the fleet but the little Toyota is the D-N-R’s first hybrid that runs on gas and electricity. Air Quality Bureau spokesman Brian Button says the Prius gets superb mileage — and it gets lots of stares.Besides getting 52-miles-to-the-gallon on the highway, Button says the Prius is also considered an S-U-L-E-V, or super ultra-low emission vehicle, meaning it puts out very little pollution. He adds it’s the first, and certainly not the last, in the state’s fleet.The electric motor helps the gasoline engine while its electric batteries are recharged during the braking process, so it doesn’t need to be plugged in.
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