Photo courtesy of Ford

Photo courtesy of Ford

Ford has revealed its Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan for law enforcement agencies, capable of driving up to 21 miles on electricity. Ford's first plug-in hybrid police vehicle is designed for police and fire chiefs, detectives, and other government personnel whose jobs don’t require a pursuit-rated vehicle.

“This is the first Ford police vehicle that can potentially get through an entire shift using no gasoline whatsoever,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford police brand marketing manager. “Anyone can plug this in to any wall outlet to run gas- and emissions-free on battery-only operation.”

The vehicle’s 3.3-kW onboard charger allows agencies to fully charge the 7.6-kW-hour battery in just 2.5 hours on a 240-volt, Level 2 charger. But Ford is confident most agencies won’t need anything more than a regular 120-volt wall outlet to recharge. The lithium-ion battery can move the vehicle up to 21 miles on a single charge and up to 85 mph on battery power alone. Once the battery runs down, the vehicle is powered by its gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant — with a range surpassing 500 miles — eliminating any concerns of range anxiety typically associated with battery-only electrics.

The custom interior features heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters for officer comfort, and rear anti-stab plates, plus vinyl rear seating and flooring. Other highlights include a reinforced top tray for mounting equipment, metal console mounting plate, red and white task lighting in the overhead console, police engine-idle feature, alloy wheels, and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.

Several options are available, including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, trunk ventilation system, and a rear door control-disabling feature. A dark-car feature turns off interior lighting and allows the dash cluster to be dimmed 100% for surveillance, and several emergency lighting packages like those found on other Ford police vehicles are also available.

The new Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan joins two other Ford police vehicles revealed this year — Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan and F-150 Police Responder. Recently, both successfully completed rigorous testing conducted by Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Customers will be able to order the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan in December, with sales starting next summer.

Originally posted on Government Fleet

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