The Island Packet. Hilton Head is replacing two of its fleet Crown Victoria sedans with Priuses in a pilot project to test the reliability of the hybrids.

The hope, town officials say, is for a fleet that eventually consists largely of vehicles that emit little, if any, pollutants. The fact that the cars get better gas mileage than most doesn’t hurt, either, they say.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being environmentally friendly,“ town manager Steve Riley said Tuesday. “And, oh by the way, gas prices are going up.”

The town has a 25-vehicle fleet, ranging from larger Crown Victorias to mid-size Chevrolet Luminas to Ford Ranger pickups. If the Prius proves as “good as its reputation” the town will begin adding them as other vehicles wear out.