Ford Introduces Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, World’s First Plug-In Hybrid Police Vehicle
Ford Motor Company continues its trend as the leading innovator in the field of law enforcement officer vehicles, announcing on Monday that the Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan is reporting for duty beginning next summer.
The announcement of the world’s first plug-in hybrid police vehicle follows Ford’s introduction earlier this year of the world’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicle, the Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan. Earlier this year, the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan and the Ford F-150 Police Responder were successfully pursuit-rated by both the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, on the other hand, will not be offered for pursuit purposes. Instead, it is offered as a cost- and fuel-efficient vehicle for police and fire chiefs, detectives, and government personnel with roles not requiring a pursuit-rated vehicle.
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“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.”
According to Ford, the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan comes with a 3.3-kilowatt onboard charger that enables the vehicle’s 7.6 kWh battery to be charged in around 2.5 hours when using a 240-volt, level-two charger. Given that the battery can go 21 miles on battery power alone with a maximum top speed of 85 mph, Ford anticipates that a standard 120-volt wall outlet will suffice for the needs of most law enforcement departments.
The Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan will be offered with a custom interior that includes heavy-duty cloth front seats, rear anti-stab plates, vinyl rear seating and flooring, and red and white task lighting in the overhead console. Other standard features include an engine-idle feature and auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk; available equipment includes a driver spot lamp, dark-car feature for surveillance purposes, and emergency lighting packages.
The Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan will be available for pre-order in December with deliveries slated to get underway in summer 2018.
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