Raymond W. Kelly, the New York City Police Commissioner, along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, just announced that the NYC police department is going to add 40 new Nissan Altima Hybrids to its current fleet. This will be the first time NYC will use hybrids in their patrol fleet.

Twenty of these cars won’t be marked, while two are going to look like taxis for the anticrime fleet, and the others will have the typical blue and white paint that most patrol cars sport. It may not seem like a lot of hybrids considering the fleet of patrol cars equals 3,000, however the 40 hybrids are going to be a pilot program. In one year, the performance of the hybrids will be evaluated to determine if NYC should get more.

The Nissan Altima hybrids that are only for sale in seven states, will cost the department $25,391, which is $1,500 more than the Chevrolet Impala or Ford Crown Victoria that are currently being used. However, the department predicts that a large fuel savings will make up the difference. The hybrids only reach a top speed of 113mph, however, the patrol cars need to be able to undergo stop and go traffic, not chases that are high-speed. After all, high-speed chases in NYC would likely end in lots of roadside assistance calls.