Ford is a long time partner of the US police and now is the first to offer a hybrid vehicle for the law enforcement.
The industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car, the all-new Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan, is part of a $4.5 billion Ford investment to make electric vehicles.
The new vehicle will be the first hybrid sedan with full pursuit capabilities. That means the car is certified by police agencies to be tough enough to handle police pursuits for longer periods at different speeds and over obstacles such as curbs and flooded intersections.
The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan uses an efficient Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter engine with an electric motor fed by an advanced lithium-ion battery. The hybrid is calibrated for law enforcement’s unique duty cycle and will run in battery-only mode up to 60 mph. The car automatically switches to maximum performance – with the engine and battery working at peak acceleration levels – when needed.
The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan can be ordered this spring and will be delivered to police departments nationwide next summer.
This year, Ford also is testing a fleet of 20 Transit Connect hybrid taxi and van prototypes in demanding traffic conditions in New York and several other major U.S. cities.