This Ford Fusion lookalike is the first pursuit-rated hybrid police car
It'll save police departments -- and, by extension, taxpayers -- plenty of cash in fuel.
When you hear stories about Ford 's push into electrification, you might think of trucks or sports cars first. But the automaker is also determined to bring more electrons to your local constabulary.
The Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan has a pretty straightforward name -- it's a police car that happens to be a hybrid. It also happens to be the first pursuit-rated hybrid. Pursuit vehicles are cars that are cleared for a majority of police work, including high-speed response and pursuits. If you can't tell by looks alone, it's based off the Fusion Hybrid. That said, it's not just an off-the-shelf Fusion that underwent some changes -- it's treated as an entirely separate model.
You'll never hear it coming.
Under the hood is an Atkinson-cycle, 2.0-liter I4, mated to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. Both can contribute to acceleration, but the car is also engineered to run in battery-only mode up to 60 miles per hour.
It'll also achieve a Ford-projected 38 mpg combined, which is more than double the standard Ford Police Interceptor. Ford believes cities can save approximately $3,877 per police hybrid per year, assuming a gas price of $2.50 per gallon. Considering how often police cars are left idling, the savings should be realized rather quickly.
This pursuit-rated Fusion lookalike is only a small part of Ford's plan to electrify a big chunk of its lineup. Up to and including 2020, we'll see hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang, along with a fully electric new small crossover, as well as a plug-in hybrid version of the Transit Custom. Only the latter is limited to Europe.
Ford will start taking orders for the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan this spring, and deliveries should start next summer.
Update, 5:17 a.m. Eastern: Better clarified the difference between this car and a standard Fusion.