[Updated] Ford to commence Mustang Mach-E police cruiser trial with Michigan State Police
[Updated] 26/09/21: The Mustang Mach-E became the first all-electric vehicle to pass the rigorous Michigan State Police 2022 model year evaluation. Testing included acceleration, top speed, braking and high-speed pursuit, as well as emergency response handling characteristics. Michigan State Police is one of two law enforcement agencies that annually test new model year police vehicles and publish the results for use by agencies nationwide.
“The fact that the Mustang Mach-E successfully stood up to the grueling Michigan State Police evaluation demonstrates that Ford can build electric vehicles that are capable, tough and reliable enough for even the most challenging jobs,” said Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro. “We understand the needs of our commercial customers and are committed to unlocking new electrification opportunities for them.”
Hot on the heels of Ford of Great Britain revealing a Mustang Mach-E police vehicle trial, Ford USA has announced that as part of its $30 billion investment in electrification over the next 3 years, the automaker would also implement a pilot program - hopefully the first of many - testing an all-electric Mustang Mach-E with the Michigan State Police.
The Mustang Mach-E is an aggressive and sporty EV, and looks even tougher in police livery. While this particular example is not fitted with a lightbar, we expect that Ford will, in time, develop an in-house police package for electric vehicles that streamline the acquisition process for police fleets.
Tesla’s Model 3 has been a popular choice among law enforcement officials who have chosen to electrify their fleets; we’ve seen Westport Connecticut’s police chief demonstrate considerable savings after one year of running a Model 3, and Bargesville Indiana police’s Tesla save the department -and taxpayer- $6,000 in gas/fuel costs after twelve months.
With Tesla’s built-in surround view camera system, police departments are able to avoid costly retrofits of camera systems, and the automaker has even worked with police departments to help implement computer systems and access the car’s internal data systems.
Ford has likely been closely watching Tesla’s foray into the first-responder fleet market, and will also be aiming to assist police departments decarbonise their fleets. The police vehicle market is a profitable one in the USA, and Ford alone has sold between twenty and forty thousand police vehicles per year for the last few years.
