will incorporate more into its fleet. It hopes to have two pick-up trucks and two smaller vehicles on the road by the end of the year -- loaned from Georgia Power.

The move was given a cautious welcome by Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown.

He said: "I welcome the effort from Belco -- I think electric cars, when the technology is sufficiently advanced, will be a real possibility for Bermuda.

Belco to borrow electric cars "The Ministry will cooperate with anybody whose doing this. But in this instance we have to be somewhat careful in that Belco has another interest and that's from the power perspective.

"At first blush I would rather see someone else bringing in the cars and Belco providing the power as opposed to Belco providing the cars and the power. But there is nothing sinister in them doing it -- we just need to spread it out.'' He pointed out that electric cars were already legal in Bermuda and that the Department of the Environment and Transport were looking at the issue. Belco President and CEO Garry Madeiros said Bermuda's landscape made the Island an ideal location for electric-powered vehicles.

He said: "We are currently negotiating the loan of four electric vehicles from Georgia Power with a view to ultimately using electric trucks and vans in our fleet of trucks at Belco.

"While any large-scale use of electric vehicles is unlikely to occur in the very near future, we are continuing to assess their feasibility.'' However, he said a hybrid vehicle -- which can be powered partially by electricity and partially by gasoline or other fossil fuels -- might be more economically feasible for its 50-vehicle fleet.

"Belco is committed to the environment, in particular to reducing overall emissions by continuing to assess the feasibility of electric vehicle technology and promoting the use of electric vehicles in Bermuda,'' said Mr.

Madeiros.

"While Belco has been following developments in the field of electric vehicle technology for many years, it has not yet proved feasible, economically or operationally, on a large scale anywhere.

"There are many issues to be resolved, the most important of which is determining the most appropriate vehicle for the Bermuda environment. With so many different types of electric vehicles on the market, it is vital to find the vehicle that best suits Bermuda.

"Important considerations are the substantial up front capital costs involved, battery lifespan and local driving patterns -- speed, distance and the amount of stopping and starting.''