BRIDGEPORT, CT – The City of Bridgeport is going “green,” one vehicle at a time. Mayor Bill Finch is driving a black, 2007 Ford Escape hybrid SUV, the city’s first chief executive to adopt a vehicle that uses an alternative power source — a rechargeable battery — to reduce gas usage and emissions, according to www.connpost.com.

The $31,167 Ford hybrid shifts from battery power to gas power as needed. A display on the dashboard shows which mode the vehicle is operating.

Ford estimates the Escape hybrid gets 36 miles per gallon in the city — and pumps far less harmful emissions into the air. He wants to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2020. Over the past several years,

Bridgeport purchased seven alternative-power vehicles. Hybrid vehicles purchased by Bridgeport range from Ford Escapes to a 2005 GMC pickup.

The state of Connecticut is offering incentives to towns and cities to cover the cost difference when buying a hybrid. Hartford, Waterbury, Cheshire, Mansfield, and Windsor have all purchased hybrid vehicles, according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.