Employees at Tacoma Public Utilities have added a new step to their daily routine: Unplugging the pool car before driving it and plugging it back in when they’re done.

The utility recently took a step toward reducing its carbon footprint by being one of a few Pacific Northwest companies to put plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road. But the utility has taken a unique approach by retrofitting two of its pool cars with plug-in hybrid technology. Employees use pool cars for work-related trips.

“Installing plug-in electric hybrid kits on our pool cars maximizes the technology,” said Tacoma Power Superintendent Gary Armfield. “Employees typically use them for short trips, which means we can go a long time between visits to the gas station.”

TPU has converted one Toyota Prius hybrid pool car into a plug-in vehicle, and anticipates delivery of the second vehicle the week of Dec. 24. Both cars feature a colorful wrap with the message, “Tacoma Power…Plugging in for our future.”

Plug-in hybrids operate solely on battery power for the first 16 to 60 miles of travel. Vehicles automatically operate like a hybrid car upon battery depletion, cycling back and forth from electric to internal combustion power. Plug-in hybrid batteries have more power than hybrid batteries and can be recharged from a standard electrical outlet.

“We intend to convert more of our hybrid vehicles so they run on electricity,” said Frank Castro, who manages TPU’s vehicle fleet. “The technology is improving at a rapid pace and we’re hoping that as the demand increases, the price of the conversion kits will go down.”

Besides reduced emissions, using plug-in electric hybrid vehicles limits the utility’s carbon footprint because of the power source. Most of Tacoma Power’s electricity comes from emission-free hydroelectric projects.

“Eventually, our fleet will include many plug-in electric hybrids,” Armfield said. “It will make a big difference from an emissions perspective and would be a good use of the product that we provide.”

Besides the environmental benefits, the pilot program allows Tacoma Public Utilities to learn more about hybrid technology, while beginning to understand the long-term issues related to the electrical system.

“There’s more to this story than just converting our cars,” said Tacoma Public Utilities Director Bill Gaines. “As this technology improves and becomes more prevalent, it will present larger issues such as identifying the resources that will be required to fill the demand of plug-in vehicles, understanding what’s needed for people to conveniently recharge their vehicles and finding a way to bill the individual users who charge their cars at places other than their homes.”

Tacoma Public Utilities will stay involved in regional discussions about plug-in hybrid technology and will look for opportunities to help shape expanded use of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

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