Just a few months after giving police officers the ability to go farther in their interceptor units with the new Ford Fusion Hybrid Interceptor, the automaker is giving them the ability to go anywhere to track down those running from the long arm of the law.
Ford unveiled its new F-150 Police Responder model today. The newest addition to the line-up is designed to give law enforcement officers the ability to pursue criminals anywhere.
More Raptor Interceptor than Police Responder, the truck features a 3.5-liter EcoBoost putting out 375 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque allowing for speeds up to 100 mph and plenty of off-road performance in the event pursuits go off tarmac.
“Ford’s 2018 F-150 Police Responder is the perfect all-terrain law enforcement vehicle,” said Stephen Tyler, Ford’s police brand marketing manager.
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“Aside from its industry-first on-road pursuit capability, this purpose-built pickup can comfortably seat five, while providing capability in off-road patrol situations for officers in rural environments patrolled by sheriff’s departments, border patrol operations and the Department of Natural Resources.”
The truck, which is based off the F-150 FX4 off-road model, features a 145-inch wheelbase on top of a high-strength steel frame. It also uses Ford’s high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy SuperCrew body to provide larger passenger volume, payload and towing capacity than any pursuit-rated police vehicle.
Additional F-150 Police Responder performance enhancements include a police-calibrated brake system with upgraded calipers and pad friction material, upgraded front-stabilizer bar for improved braking and handling and 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires.
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It’s also got a high-output 240-amp alternator to support on-board electrical devices, along with a police-calibrated speedometer, and engine hour and engine idle hour meters.
The truck is a start contrast from the recently introduced Fusion hybrid interceptor model. That model features an Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter gas engine paired with an electric motor drawing power from a roughly 1.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
The package has been calibrated for law enforcement applications. That means not only higher performance but control software designed to let the vehicle idle primarily in electric mode, the engine occasionally firing up if the battery starts to drain. The Police Responder Hybrid also can operate for short runs in battery-only mode at speeds up to 60 mph.
The EPA is giving the package a combined rating of 38 mpg, or more than twice that of the current police package using a 3.7-liter V-6. “Cities could see approximately $3,877 a year in fuel savings per vehicle, based on $2.50 per gallon fuel prices, leading to less vehicle downtime for fill-ups,” Ford said in a statement.
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The F-150 Police Responder joins the broadest line-up of law enforcement vehicles in the industry. It joins the aforementioned hybrid interceptor as well as market-leading Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility, to the Special Service F-150 and Expedition, Special Service Police Sedan and Transit Prisoner Transport Vehicle, Ford offers the right vehicles for a variety of law enforcement needs, Ford claims.
If you see a Ford oval in your rear-view mirror, slow down!