Electric vehicles have the potential to be excellent police cruisers. After all, it's not hard to imagine police officers using them to silently creep up on perps.
The quiet, smooth operation of EVs also tends to be relaxing for occupants, and this should help to reduce stress and let officers concentrate on their surroundings. One shortcoming is range. As a result, conventionally powered police cruisers will probably still be required for chases.
Some agencies have already tested the waters with electric cruisers, most notably the Los Angeles Police Department which bought a fleet of BMW i3s a few years back. The Seattle Police Department has also recruited a few examples of the Nissan Leaf.
Ford is one of the major suppliers of vehicles to police agencies across the country, and is hopeful that its Mustang Mach-E will prove attractive to them. To evaluate the electric crossover in demanding police duty cycles, Ford turned some of its Mustang Mach-E crossovers into police vehicles.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E U.K. police concept
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E U.K. police concept
Here in the U.S., a Mustang Mach-E police pilot vehicle was submitted for the Michigan State Police 2022 Model Year Police Evaluation program that ran September 18-20. It passed the program, making it the first EV to do so.
It's an important program in law enforcement circles as Michigan State Police is one of two agencies that annually test vehicles and then publish the results, which other agencies rely on. Specific tests include acceleration, braking, top speed. high-speed pursuits, and emergency response handling.
According to Ford, law enforcement demand for EVs is growing worldwide. The automaker plans to capitalize on the trend and has already showcased a Mustang Mach-E police pilot vehicle to agencies in the U.K.
Ford didn't say what version of the Mustang Mach-E it used for its police pilot vehicles. When it comes to performance, the current top dog is the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance. Priced from $66,000, it has 480 hp, 634 lb-ft of torque, and an estimated 260 miles of range.
