Ford Transforms the Electric Mach-E into a Michigan State Police Vehicle for a New Pilot

author: Eric Walz   

Ford Motor Company has been a big supplier of police vehicles for over 50 years. The Ford Crown Victoria full-size sedan was made into a standard police vehicle for countless cities across the country, until it was replaced by the popular police-spec Ford Explorer SUV called the Police Interceptor Utility. Now Ford built a zero-emissions version.

The automaker built a police-spec version of the electric Mustang Mach-E SUV for the Michigan State Police. Ford is submitting its pilot vehicle that's based on the 2021 Mach-E for testing as part of the Michigan State Police 2022 Model Year Police Evaluation on Sept 18 and 20. 

Ford said it will use the pilot-test program with the Michigan State Police as a benchmark while it continues to explore purpose-built electric police vehicles in the future. The automaker said that law enforcement demand for all-electric vehicles is growing worldwide.

The Mach-E police vehicle is paving the way for more zero-emissions law enforcement vehicles to be deployed and is part of the automaker's $30+ billion investment in electrification through 2025.

The pilot will help demonstrate that a vehicle with an electric powertrain can deliver strong performance and stand up to demanding police duty cycles.

Electric vehicles offer quicker accelerations than gas or hybrid vehicles, so it would be hard to outrun an electric police vehicle. The consumer version of the Mach-E GT Performance Edition for example, delivers 480 horsepower and 634 lb.-ft. of torque. It can go from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds. 

Ford also introduced a new Mustang Mach-E police concept car in the United Kingdom which the company said police agencies are lining up for a chance to try it out.

Ford is already offering lower emissions vehicles for law enforcement. Ford's current Police Interceptor Utility now comes with a standard hybrid powertrain. On-board electrical equipment can be powered using the vehicle's lithium-ion hybrid battery, allowing the gasoline engine to shut off and run only intermittently to charge the battery. It also offers significant improvements in fuel economy and reduced engine idle time, according to Ford.

Ford also offers a police version of the popular F-150 pickup called the "Police Responder" giving law enforcement and other agencies a more rugged vehicle with off-road capabilities.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.