Ford has become the first automaker to offer U.S. law enforcement pursuit-rate hybrid police cars. The Fusion-based sedan and F-150 truck hybrid Police Interceptors were confirmed by Michigan State Police after 32-lap police vehicle testing at Grattan Raceway and made officers of law, set to enter service over the next couple of years.
In order to become a pursuit-rate cruiser a vehicle must pas a grueling test in which durability, including powertrain, suspension, brake and tire systems, are examined in simulated situations that mimic real-world scenarios. From these Ford hybrid police cars complete with police lights, the Fusion sedan fared particularly well.
The sedan bested the records of its legendary predecessor, the Crown Vic, in both performance and economy ratings. The new sedan does 0-100 mph in 23.1 seconds which is a full second faster than the old Vic. In terms of fuel consumption, the hybrid sedan does 40 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 38 mpg combined, much better than Vic’s 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.
Ford hybrid police cars are powered by 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine which for years has made these cars the fastest interceptors in America. The sedan has the fastest lap times among all other makes and Sdoes the 0-60 run in 5.6 seconds, while Police Interceptor Utility and the F-150 Police Responder needed only 6.3 seconds to hit 60 mph.
“Our new Fusion-based Police Responder Hybrid Sedan is quicker than our legendary V8-powered Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, while offering fuel efficiency that’s estimated to be double that,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager. “Plus, our new F-150 Police Responder offers police customers both on-road pursuit and off-road capability.”