The first hybrid car has hit the streets of Bermuda and the technology could be set to take off in a big way if given the green light by Government.

A Toyota Prius, which combines the use of gas and electric power, was brought to the Island by Bermuda Motors and is currently being test-driven by the Works & Engineering department for fuel efficiency, handling and a number of other factors.

Bermuda Motors, Works & Engineering, the National Training Board and Bermuda College have also joined forces to provide training on the new technology, with the first session being held for emergency service workers, as well as technicians and apprentices at Bermuda College on May 6.

Michael Butler, general manager of Bermuda Motors, said the 1.8 litre automatic Toyota Prius was made available to sell in Bermuda and the company decided to bring it in in a bid to try to be more eco-friendly and green.

"We were all interested in this technology, but we had never been able to get a feel for what it looked like and how it drove," he said. "It was mainly done as a test with Toyota to see if the hybrid would work in Bermuda, which is does, and secondly from the educational side to see how it performed.

"We spoke to Works & Engineering and they were interested in the vehicle and when it came they put it on the road as part of their fleet."

Mr. Butler said the advantages of the Prius, such as low fuel consumption outweighed the downsides, like being too large for Bermuda's roads and questions over whether the technology would work on the Island's roads with their low speed limits.

Oraefo Adisa, of Works and Engineering, said that his department was looking at the new technology to see what cost savings it could make, as well as using a vehicle that was reliable and efficient.

Mr. Adisa said that Government had looked at a number of electric vehicles in the past, but none of them met their requirements, as well as some other models of hybrid, but settled on the Toyota Prius because of its application for use at low speeds.

"We have just taken possession of it and we are getting a feel of it," he said.

"I have driven it a couple of times and rather enjoy it. We are going to see how many kilometres per tank of fuel it does before you have to fill it up, whether it is 400, 500 or 600."

He said other key selling points include an aluminium body to reduce rust, and a quiet and smooth operation.

"I just think all round it is going to be a great car and if we get more of them in Bermuda it will be the way to go in the future."

Michael McGrath, senior technician at Bermuda Motors, explained that almost every movement the vehicle made, including braking, generated energy that was used to charge the battery, with a screen built into the dashboard which shows how the energy is being used. He said, if run at its most fuel efficient, the Toyota Prius could do 127 miles to the gallon. Bermuda Motors has also run an update of the car's operating system to eliminate any safety issues.

James Welch, of the National Training Board (NTB), said the NTB's automotive occupational advisory committee, which was made up of representatives from the industry and was responsible for national training standards for that sector, was recommended by Bermuda Motors to put on a hybrid training programme.

He said the programme, which would focus mainly on the safety aspects of the vehicle, would be offered to members of the Bermuda Police and Fire Services and technicians and apprentices both in the industry and at Bermuda College first and then rolled out to other parties.