Ford Adds Plug-in Hybrid Police Cruiser

Ford Motor Co. is introducing a plug-in hybrid version of its Fusion police car.

The sedan will have an all-electric range of 21 miles, which Ford says will be sufficient for many police officers to make it through a shift without using any gasoline. The total range of the vehicle is more than 500 miles.

Unlike Ford’s standard hybrid Fusion sedan and F-150 pickup police vehicles, the plug-in Fusion isn’t pursuit rated. With its top speed limited to 85 mpg in electric mode, the Special Service plug-in Fusion is designed for police and fire chiefs, detectives and other government personnel who don’t require a high-speed vehicle.

The vehicle’s 3.3-kW onboard charger allows agencies to replenish the 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery in 2.5 hours with a 240-volt, level-two charger.

The customized interior features heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters and seatback anti-stab plates. 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 and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk. Among the police-specific options are a driver spot lamp, trunk storage vault, rear-door control disabler and a “dark car” feature that modifies lighting for surveillance.

The 2019 plug-in hybrid cruiser will be built alongside the base Fusion at Ford’s facility in Hermosillo, Mexico. Ford will modify the vehicle for police use in Chicago.