Windsor is trying to make its fleet of vehicles more environmentally friendly.

The city has a green fleet plan in place. It wants to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions by educating its drivers on how the engine works, and how emissions affect the environment.

City officials say they have been successful buying hybrid vehicles for Transit Windsor and the police service.

There seems to be a problem in trying to "green" the corporate fleet of vehicles. There aren't enough domestically-produced cars and trucks that fit the bill.

So it's been difficult. Only one hybrid has been added since 2008.

"There are other municipalities where you will see a significant number of hybrid vehicles but you're not looking at your Ford, GM, Chrysler vehicles. You're looking at a lot of Toyotas and Hondas; not domestic manufacturers," said Angela Marazita, the city's fleet manager.

A few years ago, the city tried to buy imported hybrid vehicles. But Mike Palanacki, the city's executive director of operations, said it was not a popular move.

"In 2006 or 2007, we did bring forward a report, suggesting that we acquire a Smart Car, and I think both Angela and I were almost run out of town," Palanacki said. "We were almost run out of town because they're manufactured overseas."

According to the Ontario Medical Association statistics from 2005, Windsor's number of air pollution related illnesses was one of the highest in the provinces.