Sales begin in December for Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan built for the Police force

Ford has just stepped up its game by electrifying its models for the police, fire and government market. This special edition model of the Fusion Energi, which is officially known as the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan. Though this model was not made for pursuits, the four-door vehicle can cover as far as 500 miles (805 kilometers), including 21 miles (34 kilometers) that’s propelled by electric power alone.

According to Ford, they believe that this sort of setup is perfect for officials like detectives, police and fire chiefs. This model will be up for grabs starting December this year, but deliveries will not begin until summer 2018.

What powers the Special Service Plug-in Hybrid is the same battery that they use in the Standard Fusion Energi, and that is a 7.6 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery that can be charged on a level-two 240 volt charger in just two and a half hours, or a conventional 110 volt outlet for 7 hours.

Stephen Tyler, who is Ford’s police brand marketing manager, said in a statement that this particular vehicle is the first police vehicle from the brand that can last a whole shift without needing a single drop of gasoline. He also said that this car can run by the use of only battery, after it has been plugged into any wall. This means that it can run gas- and emissions-free.

Being a police vehicle, the sedan should of course have police-centric equipment. And this includes heavy duty cloth seats, smaller bolsters to improve comfort when the cops are wearing a lot of equipment around their waist, and most importantly, anti-stab plates to improve their safety. The rear seats and floors are made of vinyl to make it easier to clean as well. Around the cabin are extra mounting points, together with red and white task lights in the overhead console.

As usual, there are some optional features especially for law enforcement work such as several emergency lighting packages. The car will also shut off the interior lights while dimming the instrument cluster for surveillance with the dark car system.

The PHEV will be joining Ford’s current lineup of hybrid police vehicles. We also learned that the Fusion Hybrid based police Responder Hybrid Sedan is pursuit-rated, but better yet, it has fuel economy that’s twice as good as the Old Crown Victoria Interceptor.

Imagine being a police officer and not having to worry about gassing up while you are on duty. With its range and efficiency, it’s just great that there’s one less thing to be concerned about when going after criminals.

PRESS RELEASE

Ford Reveals Its First Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle for Police and Government Customers

Earlier this year, Ford revealed the world’s first-ever pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicle. Today, the company is giving law enforcement an even more efficient option with the reveal of a plug-in hybrid vehicle capable of driving up to 21 miles without a drop of gas.

The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, the first plug-in hybrid police vehicle from Ford, 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-kilowatt onboard charger allows agencies to fully charge the 7.6-kilowatt-hour battery in just 2.5 hours on a 240-volt, level-two charger. But Ford is confident most agencies won’t need anything more than a regular 120-volt wall outlet to recharge. The lithium-ion battery can move 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 concerns of range anxiety typically associated with battery-only electrics.

The custom interior features heavy-duty cloth front seats with reduced bolsters, for officer comfort, and rear anti-stab plates, plus vinyl rear seating and flooring. 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, unique alloy wheels and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.

Several unique options are available for the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan, including a driver spot lamp, a trunk storage vault, trunk ventilation system, 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 also 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.

Customers will be able to order the Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan in December with sales starting next summer.