The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan 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 the 7.6 KWh battery to be fully charged in just 2.5 hours on a 240-volt, level-two charger. The company says it is confident most agencies won’t need anything more than a regular 120-volt wall outlet to recharge.
The lithium-ion battery can power 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 of the range anxiety typically associated with battery-only electrics.
The vehicle features several unique options designed for law enforcement including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, and a rear door control-disabling feature. A special dark-car feature turns off interior lighting and allows the dash cluster to be dimmed 100 percent for surveillance, and several emergency lighting packages like those found on other Ford police vehicles are 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 at Grattan Raceway in Belding, Michigan, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
Ford will be taking orders for the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan in December with sales starting next summer.
