Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ford Reveals First Plug-In Hybrid Police Vehicle

Ford revealed today the first plug-in hybrid vehicle designed for law enforcement and government service. The company says the new vehicle is capable of driving up to 21 miles on no fuel.

November 20, 2017
Ford Reveals First Plug-In Hybrid Police Vehicle

The Ford Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan was designed for police operations that do not require pursuit-rated vehicles. It can be driven up to 21 miles with no fuel. (Photo: Ford)

2 min to read



Ford revealed today the first plug-in hybrid vehicle designed for American law enforcement service. The company says the new vehicle is capable of driving up to 21 miles on no fuel.

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.

Ad Loading...

“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 into 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 says it 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, alloy wheels and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.

Several 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.

Ad Loading...

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


More Vehicle Ops

Three mean cut a ribbon.
Vehicle OpsOctober 17, 2025

Emergency Vehicle Upfitter LEHR Expands National Footprint with New 40,000-Square-Foot Facility in Houston

LEHR has opened a 40,000-square-foot Defender Supply upfitting facility in Houston, Texas. It is expected to upfit thousands of public safety vehicles each year.

Read More →
Coffee Break With Police Experts thumnail for topic of Using Your Patrol Vehicle for Cover.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamOctober 3, 2025

Coffee Break with Police Experts: Using Your Patrol Vehicle for Cover

In this video, hear from Dustin Mowery, a product specialist at Team Wendy, as he discusses how to best use a patrol vehicle for cover.

Read More →
Vintage 1950s Ford police sedan with 17 PCT markings, black and white
Patrolby David GriffithSeptember 28, 2025

Ford Celebrates 75 Years of Making Patrol Vehicles

From 1950 to 2025, Ford has produced many of America’s most iconic law enforcement cars, SUVs, and trucks. POLICE Magazine takes you through the history of Ford’s police vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Police officer crouching behind vehicle, holding rifle in tactical stance
Vehicle Opsby Wayne ParhamAugust 29, 2025

Using Patrol Vehicles for Cover

While a patrol vehicle offers some cover protection when taking fire, remain mobile and don’t stick to one piece of cover indefinitely. Dustin Mowery, of Team Wendy, shares what he teaches about using vehicles as cover.

Read More →
Vehicle OpsJune 5, 2025

POLICE and Geotab Offer Free On-Demand Webinar on Data-Driven Fleet Maintenance

The webinar is presented by Robert Martinez, former deputy commissioner of the NYPD/RSM Fleet Consulting LLC; Nathalie (Nat) Crewes, business segment manager for Geotab; and Alanna Bindi, fleet manager for the City of Stockton.

Read More →
Vehicle Opsby Wayne ParhamMarch 17, 2025

Reaching the Call Safely

How can officers stay safer behind the wheel when responding to calls? Driving instructors from the Michigan State Police and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center share their tips.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Vehicle OpsJanuary 14, 2025

Michigan State Police Testing Ford’s EV Mustang with Security Unit

“Adding this battery electric vehicle to our patrol fleet will allow us to study the vehicle’s performance long-term to determine if there is a potential for cost savings and broader applicability within our fleet,” said said Lt. Nicholas Darlington.

Read More →
Patrolby Wayne ParhamDecember 20, 2024

Are Electric Patrol Vehicles Ready for Duty?

Typically, battery-electric police vehicles are mostly, at this point, used as administrative vehicles. What will it take for departments to deploy them as patrol units?

Read More →
Vehicle Opsby Ronnie WendtDecember 4, 2024

Road Ready Law Enforcement Vehicles

University of Alabama Transportation Services launches online auction site for police vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Vehicle OpsOctober 9, 2024

California Police Department Buys Tesla Cybertruck for Community Outreach

The vehicle is capable of responding to emergencies, but the department does not plan to use the truck for patrols. The Cybertruck will be used for community outreach and engagement.

Read More →