Ford wants to explore the use of EVs with law enforcement

It seems there's no stopping the rise of electric vehicles (EVs). Whether it's a sedan, hatchback, SUV, or a pick-up, automakers are busy making and launching EVs that are practical, efficient, and powerful.

But can EVs eventually see police service in the future? For the Blue Oval, they believe that EVs will become a necessary part of the police fleet. As part of the company's USD 30 billion investment in electrification, Ford is exploring the idea of electric law enforcement vehicles.

Ford is testing a Mustang Mach-E for police use image

To show how serious they are with the idea, Ford recently revealed a Mach-E Police for the state of Michigan. But don't expect this Mach-E to protect and serve anytime soon. The Mach-E you see here is currently undergoing evaluation tests with the Michigan State Police to see if it can meet the demands of law enforcement use.

The EV being tested looks identical to the standard road-going model. The only differences are the 'Police' and '911' decals that run along the side of the vehicle. Strangely, the test vehicle doesn't come with a lightbar or other equipment normally seen in police vehicles.

There's no word as to what trim the Mach-E Police car is based on. Our best guess is that it's based on the most powerful GT Performance Edition. It makes a total of 480 PS with 860 Nm of torque and can go from 0 – 97 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. With that level of performance, the Mach-E Police can easily pursuit vehicles and quickly arrive at the scene of a crime.

Ford is testing a Mustang Mach-E for police use image

For the automaker, the pilot program for the Mach-E Police serves to benchmark the EV for other types of law enforcement use. Moreover, Ford believes that testing the Mach-E for police use will help them explore other purpose-built electric police vehicles. This could mean that other upcoming EVs like the F-150 Lightning may become available for police use.

With Ford paving the way for electric police fleets in the US, do you think EVs will actually help out the police force? Let us know in the comments.

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