Ford's Electric Pickup Truck Is A Cop, Now
Ford, one of America's biggest car companies, is gradually introducing more electric vehicles into its lineup. Just last week, the company announced its battery strategy to produce 600,000 EVs by 2023. It has also invested $11.4 billion to build a mega campus known as Blue Oval City to manufacture electric vehicles. If things pan out, Ford expects electric vehicles to contribute at least 40% of its total domestic sales by 2030.
In an effort to cover all the bases, Ford is making electric vehicles for the police. The automaker sells over 50% of police vehicles in the U.S. (via CNBC), and as it's going electric, it intends to keep it that way. Today, the company has revealed the details of its next electric vehicle lineup specially designed for the police.
It could be the fastest accelerating police vehicle
When the Ford F-150 Police Responder was tested by the Michigan State Police in their official 2020 Model Year Police Vehicle Evaluation, it achieved a record of zero to 60 mph in 5.43 seconds and it was the fastest accelerating police vehicle in the test. In test results from the 2021 Model Year Police Vehicle Evaluation from the Michigan State Police, the model year 2020 Ford F-150 Police Responder (3.5L EcoBoost) went from zero to 60 in 6.61 seconds. Their tests showed a 2021 Ford Police Interceptor Utility (3.0L EcoBoost AWD) hitting zero to 60 in a mere 5.75 seconds: the fastest in the pack.
In the most recent edition of this series of tests, the 2022 Model Year Police Vehicle Evaluation, a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD took the crown with a zero to 60 time of just 4.03 seconds. The model year 2022 Ford F-150 Police Responder (3.5L EcoBoost) took second place with a zero to 60 time of 5.79 seconds. Ford promises that its electric pickup for the police will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds. If it delivers, it could be the new fastest police vehicle on the road.
The first electric pickup truck for the police
After building a Mustang Mach-E for the police, Ford is now focusing on a new Ford F-150 Lightning variant known as the "Pro Special Service Vehicle" which will be the first electric pickup truck for the police. It's designed with the same features that you will find in the Ford F-150 Police Responder such as steel intrusion plates, heavy-duty police-grade cloth seats, and LED warning beacons on the roof. It also includes a 12-inch digital dash screen and another 12-inch center console touchscreen display.
Of course, it will come with the latest Ford technology such as the SYNC 4 that can help police officers access services using voice recognition. We also expect it to include the Ford Co-Pilot360 which makes it safer for the driver. Ford says that all Ford-150 Lightning Pro SSV models could be connected to the police department's fleet of vehicles to save time and cut down the maintenance cost.
The Ford-150 Lightning Pro SSV will be available in two variants with standard and extended range batteries. The standard range battery variant will have 452 hp, a towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, and 775 lb-ft. of torque, and a maximum payload of 2,235 pounds. On the other hand, the extended range battery variant will come with 580 hp, a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, and 775 lb-ft. of torque. Ford hasn't disclosed the battery range of the Ford-150 Lightning Pro SSV but it will reveal more details this summer.