By Phoebe Wall Howard
Detroit Free Press
DETROIT — An all-electric police pilot vehicle based on the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV just became the first all-electric vehicle to pass Michigan State Police testing that included acceleration, top speed, braking and high-speed pursuit and emergency response handling, the company announced Friday.
Tests by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department establish standards that law enforcement agencies all over the country use to evaluate vehicles.
“The fact that the Mustang Mach-E successfully stood up to the grueling Michigan State Police evaluation demonstrates that Ford can build electric vehicles that are capable, tough and reliable enough for even the most challenging jobs,” Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro, the automaker’s commercial division, said in a statement.
Ford Pro submitted the all-electric police pilot vehicle for testing in the Michigan State Police 2022 model year evaluation this month. The company issued a media alert at the time that it was seeking review and approval.
Ford CEO Jim Farley tweeted Friday, “The #MustangMachE just became the first all-electric vehicle to pass the rigorous vehicle evaluation tests by the Michigan State Police. Another real-world application for EVs to help law enforcement agencies reduce their fuel usage and CO2 emissions, plus it’s freaking FAST.”
While all-electric vehicles built by various automakers have demonstrated that a vehicle with an electric powertrain can deliver strong performance, Ford wanted to submit its latest Mustang for the rigorous police testing program so that the vehicle may be officially certified and available for purchase by law enforcement agencies.
Test results are to be published on the Michigan State Police website later this fall.
“Ford will use the pilot program testing as a benchmark while it continues to explore purpose-built electric police vehicles in the future,” Ford said in a release Sept. 17. “Law enforcement demand for all-electric vehicles is growing worldwide.”
https://twitter.com/mrlevine/status/1441380877477371915 https://twitter.com/MarkEakin/status/1441393349479395336
Earlier this month, Ford introduced a new Mustang Mach-E police concept car in the United Kingdom “that has police agencies lining up for a chance to try it out,” the company said.
It’s all part of a global commitment to get to zero emissions.
Building cop cars is big business
Police vehicles are a key market for Ford.
The Dearborn automaker has long established itself in the law enforcement community as a trusted supplier of police cars and SUVs, which generate significant revenue for the automaker.
Ford provides about two-thirds of police vehicles in the U.S.
The Police Interceptor, a modified Ford Explorer, is perhaps the most high-profile current vehicle. It has been clocked at 150 mph during official testing.
The 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder, a pursuit-rated pickup based on the F-150 design, reaches 120 mph with more control when cornering, the company announced in March.
Technology in the pickup is designed to aid police officers, allowing them to “carry more speed when cornering — a rare benefit in a pickup truck,” the company said last spring.
New commercial push
This latest announcement comes from Ford Pro, a separate global vehicle services and distribution business within Ford that’s leading the company’s push to deliver products and services for commercial and government customers.
“We’re creating a one-stop shop to help those customers increase uptime and productivity while reducing complexity and the total cost of ownership,” Farley said in a statement in May.
The Ford Pro vehicle lineup includes the all-electric 2022 E-Transit van and the all-electric 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro pickup. Ford did not provide a timeframe for when it might plan to build Mustang Mach-E style vehicles for police use.
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