As several police departments add Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) to their fleets, Ford has officially released a purpose-built electric pickup for use as police cruisers.
Ford has launched an F-150 Lightning Pro variant geared toward police officers, annnounced on Thursday.
The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro Special Service Vehicle (SSV) includes materials developed for law enforcement, such as an interior Police Responder, police-grade heavy-duty cloth seats, built-in steel intrusion plates and roof-mounted LED warning beacons.
Ford details the “Targeted performance and capability: 452 horsepower, 775 lb.-ft. of torque, 7,700-pound towing capacity and 2,235 maximum payload with a standard-range battery, and sub-four-second 0-60 mph acceleration, 580 horsepower, 775 lb.-ft. of torque, and 10,000-pound towing capability with the extended-range battery.”
Ford, GM Seek Approval for Self-Driving Cars without Steering Wheels https://t.co/DcOTauTrdH
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In a statement, Ford Pro National Government Sales Manager Nate Oscarson said, “We’re proud to offer America’s first electric police pickup truck to local government customers who can use the truck’s game-changing technology to help improve their productivity.”
Oscarson continued, “Pro Power Onboard can serve as a mobile power source2 to light up evening accident scenes on the highway, the electric powertrain helps to potentially reduce costs associated with fuel and scheduled maintenance needs3 and the Mega Power Frunk provides extra lockable storage on top of purpose-built police additions our customers have come to expect from the leader in police vehicles.”
It’s not yet clear when the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV will begin delivering to customers or what its pricing is, though Ford says more details about the vehicle, including its range, will be released later this summer.
