Ford shows off new pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicle
Staff
General Automotive Ford7.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery powers the new police plug-in hybrid sedan up to 21 miles on a charge and up to 85 mph on battery power alone.
Ford engineers have designed its first-ever pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicle, bringing more options to the police force.
The automaker has spent the past couple of years expanding its police cruiser offerings. and this new Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan joins two other Ford police vehicles revealed this year – Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan and F-150 Police Responder.
This Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan is capable of driving up to 21 miles without a drop of gas and was designed with police, fire chiefs, detectives in mind but is suitable for other government personnel whose jobs don’t require a pursuit-rated vehicle.
The vehicle’s 3.3-kilowatt onboard charger allows agencies to fully charge the 7.6-kilowatt-hour battery in just 2.5 hours on a 240-volt, level-two charger.
However, the automaker is confident that most agencies will use a regular 120-volt wall outlet to recharge. On a single charge, the lithium-ion battery can move the vehicle up to 21 miles and up to 85 mph on battery power alone. Once the battery runs down, the vehicle is powered by its gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant.
“This is the first Ford police vehicle that can potentially get through an entire shift using no gasoline whatsoever,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager. “Anyone can plug this in to any wall outlet to run gas- and emissions-free on battery-only operation.”
The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan includes unique features to accommodate police work including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, trunk ventilation system, and a rear door control-disabling feature.
And for surveillance and special emergencies, the engineers included a special dark-car feature that turns off interior lighting and allows the dash cluster to be dimmed 100 per cent.
Other features include heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters, for officer comfort, and rear anti-stab plates, plus vinyl rear seating and flooring. Ford also included a reinforced top tray for mounting equipment, metal console mounting plate, red and white task lighting in the overhead console, police engine-idle feature, unique alloy wheels and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.
This vehicle will be available starting next summer.
