Ford Pursuit-Rated Fusion Hybrid Patrol Car Intercepts Elusive Perps
You better think twice before speeding down the 405. Ford has just unveiled its first “pursuit-rated” hybrid patrol car, and the Los Angeles Police Department may be one of the first agencies to get its hands on the vehicles.
Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department Chief remarked, “Our mission to create safe and healthy communities in Los Angeles is achieved through sustainable approaches in community policing, and that includes embracing new technologies. Patrol vehicles are a police officer’s office, and we expect them to not only be economically and environmentally efficient, but also an effective tool for fighting crime in major metropolitan areas.”
The Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan is an outgrowth of the rather plebian Ford Fusion Hybrid. Engineers upgraded the suspension and brakes, attached skid plate, and changed out the wheels and tires. They even incorporated an “anti-stab” plate to protect officers from being stabbed from the back seat.
The vehicle includes a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine joined with an electric motor. The electric motor is powered by a rear-mounted 1.4-kilowatt lithium-ion battery. Ford claims that the Responder can get 38 miles-per-gallon, which is quite an accomplishment for a police vehicle. This is currently twice as much as Ford’s current patrol vehicles.
The Responder is also rumored to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. This is similar to Ford’s current patrol car, the Interceptor, while Dodge Chargers only reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds while Chevrolet’s Caprice clocks in at 6.7 seconds.
The Responder is part of Ford’s current initiative to invest $4.5 billion USD in thirteen new electric vehicles in the next five years. According to Ford, fifty percent of millennials are interested in electric vehicles. Kevin Koswick, director of Ford’s lease and remarking operations in North America, stated, “Cities have been asking us for solutions to reduce carbon emissions and costs, and agencies have been asking for greener police cars and greener pursuit vehicles. We saw a need and we thought we could fulfill it.”
Responder production should begin this spring.
Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department Chief remarked, “Our mission to create safe and healthy communities in Los Angeles is achieved through sustainable approaches in community policing, and that includes embracing new technologies. Patrol vehicles are a police officer’s office, and we expect them to not only be economically and environmentally efficient, but also an effective tool for fighting crime in major metropolitan areas.”
The Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan is an outgrowth of the rather plebian Ford Fusion Hybrid. Engineers upgraded the suspension and brakes, attached skid plate, and changed out the wheels and tires. They even incorporated an “anti-stab” plate to protect officers from being stabbed from the back seat.
The vehicle includes a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine joined with an electric motor. The electric motor is powered by a rear-mounted 1.4-kilowatt lithium-ion battery. Ford claims that the Responder can get 38 miles-per-gallon, which is quite an accomplishment for a police vehicle. This is currently twice as much as Ford’s current patrol vehicles.
The Responder is also rumored to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. This is similar to Ford’s current patrol car, the Interceptor, while Dodge Chargers only reach 60 mph in 6.6 seconds while Chevrolet’s Caprice clocks in at 6.7 seconds.
The Responder is part of Ford’s current initiative to invest $4.5 billion USD in thirteen new electric vehicles in the next five years. According to Ford, fifty percent of millennials are interested in electric vehicles. Kevin Koswick, director of Ford’s lease and remarking operations in North America, stated, “Cities have been asking us for solutions to reduce carbon emissions and costs, and agencies have been asking for greener police cars and greener pursuit vehicles. We saw a need and we thought we could fulfill it.”
Responder production should begin this spring.
