Though most Yukoners won't recognise it, there's an "imposter" driving on the territory's roads. This silver two-seat hybrid vehicle looks just like a conventional sports car, but advanced technology under the hood cuts its fuel consumption in half.

A hybrid is any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power. It's not a new concept-diesel-electric buses and trains have been used for years, and many people are familiar with mopeds. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, many car makers are now manufacturing fuel-efficient gasoline-electric hybrids.

Like many organizations that maintain vehicles for employees to use on the job, the Yukon government is aware of the compelling reasons for "greening the fleet". They are hoping hybrid cars will be one way to accomplish this.

"The Yukon government is trying to reduce its fuel consumption," says Ray Pilloud, the manager of Fleet Services for YTG. "We're looking at other sources of energy and have embarked on several initiatives to find long-term solutions that reduce our consumption of fossil fuels."

If current trends continue, transportation energy demand in Canada is projected to rise by over 50 percent from 1990 to 2020. The greatest growth is due to private vehicles, trucking and aviation. Worldwide, over the next forty years, 800 million more people are expected to own cars.

In Canada, transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gases. Exhaust emissions contribute to climate change, acid rain, air pollution and smog. But with consumer trends showing increases in vehicles and drivers, people are turning to technology to help reduce emissions.

Pilloud's agency started working on mitigating the environmental impacts of their fleet several years ago. "We try to stay away from diesel because of the higher maintenance costs and pollution levels, "Pilloud explains, "and we don't exceed 6 cylinder engines for our car fleet-no new V8s."

"We tried converting several cars to propane, but there was no end to the problems-fuel consumption doubled, and they wouldn't start in winter," says Pilloud. They tried an electric car, but their experience was consistent with most consumers. The range and power of electric cars do not meet the needs of most drivers.

Though electric cars were a failure in the consumer market, engineers applied what they learned to develop a half-piston, half-electric hybrid. The result is a car with improved mileage and reduced tailpipe emissions, thanks to a significant reduction in fuel consumption. Efficiencies realized from combining two kinds of technology produced an added bonus-a hybrid's driving range exceeds that of most cars.

Gas cars engines are sized for powerful acceleration, a feature that drivers have come to expect. Hybrids overcome this by combining a small gas engine and a sophisticated electric motor.

"If the car needs a boost accelerating or getting up a hill, the electric motor is there to help," explains Pilloud. A unique feature is that the electric motor can draw energy from batteries to accelerate, but the gas motor can also act as a generator that returns energy to the batteries for storage. "Using the brakes also generates energy from the momentum of the car, and that's also stored."

YTG acquired a hybrid car last July, a 2001 Honda Insight purchased off the lot from the Whitehorse dealer. But putting their green commitment into action carries a higher up-front cost.

Pilloud goes through the numbers. "The Insight cost about 30% more than an equivalent gas-engine car. The mileage is certainly what's most impressive. It gets 63 miles to the gallon-double what our other cars do. It's got a small 3-cylinder engine, and servicing doesn't appear to be as frequent. And it performs well in winter."

"The jury's still out. It could take three or four years before we can really measure its performance, because that's when maintenance costs usually start to add up. The car has to prove itself, but there's also got to be some allowance for the environmental benefit," he adds.

Pilloud acknowledges that cost is always going to be the dominant factor in YTG's fleet purchase decisions. But based on the car's performance so far, he is optimistic that savings in fuel and maintenance could swing the balance in favour of hybrid vehicles.

Fleet Services is already looking at purchasing a second hybrid. This time it could be the 4-door Toyota Prius. The Insight and the Prius are the two most fuel efficient vehicles listed on Natural Resources Canada's Auto$mart website.

The YTG fleet is over 300 vehicles, so they still have a long way to go to put a dent in their overall fuel consumption. But, Pilloud points out, testing is worthwhile and prevents costly mistakes. If their hybrid continues to perform at the levels it has shown to date, Pilloud has little doubt that their fleet could eventually be comprised of a significant proportion of hybrid cars.