Led by a new hybrid variant of its popular Police Interceptor Utility, Ford’s new lineup of pursuit-rated vehicles aims to build upon its 65% of US police vehicle sales in 2017.
When the all-new Police Interceptor Utility takes to the streets this year, that lineup will include Police Responder Hybrid Sedan, F-150 Police Responder, Expedition SSV, F-150 SSV, Transit PTV and SSV Plug-In Hybrid Sedan.
The Police Interceptor Hybrid’s powertrain allows the engine to shut off for extended periods, powering the electrical equipment via its lithium-ion hybrid battery, helping achieve significant reductions in fuel usage and CO2 emissions.
The all-new 2020 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid has a projected EPA-estimated rating of 9.8l /100km combined, a 41% improvement over the current Police Interceptor Utility equipped with a 3.7-litre petrol engine. Projections indicate the first pursuit-rated hybrid police utility will save between US$3,500 and US$5,700 per vehicle annually in fuel costs versus the current Police Interceptor Utility. If those savings were applied to every Police Interceptor Utility sold in 2017, it would equate to between US$118 million and US$193 million, or more than 162 million litres of fuel.
In recent testing by Michigan State Police, the all-new Police Interceptor Utility hybrid had the fastest 0-100kph acceleration, fastest lap, fastest average lap and highest top speed of 220kph, versus competitive police utility vehicles tested, including V8-powered entries. The only faster entry was its cousin – Ford Police Interceptor Utility powered by a 3.0-litre EcoBoost engine.
And at Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department testing, the new Police Interceptor Utility hybrid bested the outgoing 3.7-litre model in 0-100kph by 1.1 seconds and 0-160kph by 4.7 seconds. It also turned a fastest lap time that was 2.4 seconds better than the 3.7-litre and fastest average lap time that was 1.7 seconds better
The Police Interceptor Utility platform was engineered around its lithium-ion battery, which does not intrude into the cargo area, meaning there are no tradeoffs in passenger volume, cargo volume behind the first row, cargo volume behind the second row or total interior volume – in fact, most of these measurements improve over the current vehicle.
Tech to keep officers safer
The all-new Police Interceptor Utility introduces a number of advanced innovations designed for officer safety.
Factory-installed Police Perimeter Alert uses sensors to monitor a 270-degree area around the vehicle. It analyses nearby movement to detect potentially threatening behaviour. When such motion is detected, the system automatically turns on the rear camera, sounds a chime, rolls up the windows and locks the doors. Motion trails of the detected threat appear on the digital instrument cluster so officers can monitor.
Ford also equips its new Police Interceptor Utility and Police Responder Hybrid Sedan with a Ford modem and two years of complimentary Ford Telematics service that enables timely feedback of vehicle usage and location to agency fleet managers.
“Officers take care of people in our communities, so we feel it’s important that our vehicles help take care of our officers,” Tyler said.
Available driver-assist technology includes Pre-Collision Assist with automatic emergency braking, which features Pedestrian Detection and forward collision warning. A unique disable switch for law enforcement allows officers to temporarily override the system to perform precision immobilization technique maneuvers when necessary.
Additional optional equipment includes Rear Camera On-Demand, which allows officers to view behind the vehicle at the touch of a button, and a host of factory-installed and factory-sealed wiring and lighting packages that offer agencies turnkey solutions.
Purpose-built features include heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters for comfort and easy entry and exit for officers. Vinyl rear seats and vinyl flooring enable easy cleanup. Anti-stab plates in the rear of the front seat backs help protect officers from potential threats.
Three powertrain options for the all-new Police Interceptor Utility include a standard 3.3-litre hybrid, plus available 3.0-litre EcoBoost and 3.3-litre V6 engines. All are powered by a new 10-speed automatic transmission and feature standard full-time Intelligent All-Wheel Drive and deep snow/sand traction control mode.
Ford Police Interceptors remain the only vehicles in the world engineered to meet Ford’s stringent 120kph rear-impact crash standard. The federal standard for such testing is 80kph. Additionally, safety cell construction directs collision force around the occupant compartment, and features advanced ultra-high-strength boron steel, crumple zones that absorb and dissipate crash energy, and SPACE architecture that provides structural reinforcement and side-impact protection.
Police Interceptor Utility is tested for enhanced police durability, including improved cooling, specially tuned braking system, front-door tethers, and police-purposed steel wheels, tyres and hubcaps that are designed to withstand the rigours of a chase. The vehicle is also tested for eight-inch curb impact, median crossing and 30-mph railroad crossing validation, and water fording to 18 inches at 15 mph and 10 inches at 40 mph.
“Everything about it was designed for keeping police officers safe, comfortable and ready for action," said Bill Gubing, chief engineer for Police Interceptor Utility and Ford Explorer.
Other standard equipment includes Bluetooth pass-through commands to mobile devices, to help officers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, low- and high-beam LED headlamps, four user-configurable steering wheel switches, a Class III trailer tow receiver with 2,267kg capacity and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel.
