While the Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle) looks good on paper based on the Michigan State Police 2024 Police Vehicle Evaluation, it takes getting behind the wheel to better understand the quickness and handling of the battery-electric pursuit-rated SUV.

“The Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV is designed to meet or exceed the demands of the nationally recognized Michigan State Police annual vehicle testing,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet when the PPV was unveiled last year. “Its performance will be a game-changer.”

Driving it pales in comparison to riding along through a cones course with it controlled by more skilled hands — retired Sgt. Brian Donnelly of the California High Patrol and retired Capt. Doc Halliday of the Michigan State Police. Halliday is the former commander of the MSP Precision Driving Unit and Vehicle Test Team and Donnelley is a former EVOC sergeant for CHP.

During a recent visit to several General Motors sites in the Detroit area, I ventured out to an area police academy where the carmaker had Halliday and Donnelly on hand to demonstrate the capabilities of the Blazer EV PPV. The 9C1 package is for patrol, while the 9C3 is more on an unmarked or detective’s variant.

As you would expect out of an EV, acceleration is quick, very quick. MSP, in the testing, found the all-wheel drive pursuit SUV accelerated from 0-60 mph in 5.17 seconds and reached 100 mph in 11.08 seconds in less than two-tenths of a mile.

The Blazer PPV reaches 60 mph much quicker than the General Motor’s other two pursuit-rated SUVs. The Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3 RWD clocked 7.69 seconds and the four-wheel-drive Tahoe did the run in 7.94 seconds. However, in 0-60 mph testing the Blazer PPV was more than a second slower than the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s 4.07 seconds, which was the fastest off the line of the 2024 police vehicles tested by MSP.

The Blazer EV PPV powertrain produces 498 HP and 571 lb./ft. of torque, and the manufacturer lists the limited top speed at 130 MPH, which the MSP test drivers reached in 19.46 seconds.

Acceleration is not just about running from stop to 60 mph. Where you really feel the torque and acceleration is running the cones or punching it after coming out of a turn. It is quick to close the gap on a vehicle, as demonstrated when Donnelly ran the course trailing Halliday. Three PPVs ran the course, located within the bounds of a parking lot, at speed. 

The acceleration will push you back in the seat and you feel the force on your face, at least when you are riding in the lead vehicle with Halliday and there is an open road, or parking lot, ahead as he exits a turn. Braking, whether tapping it to back off a car ahead or fully coming to a stop, is accomplished through the same Brembo brakes found on the high-performance Blazer EV SS. They are designed to offer superior stopping power.

Read More: 10 Tips for Felony/High Risk Traffic Stops

When running a slalom through the cones or getting on the gas, or in this case electricity, following a tight turn, the Blazer PPV stays planted to the ground and has limited body roll. General Motors used the largest of its Ultium battery systems, which translates to about 1,200 pounds mounted very low in the chassis with nearly a 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution.

Whether driving or riding shotgun, the vehicle's weight and all-wheel drive keep you glued to the ground and in control.

Looking at Key Blazer EV PPV Specs

The all-wheel drive Blazer EV PPV has an estimated range of 273 miles per charge and accepts 19.2kW from a Level 2 charger. That can add up to 52 miles of range with an hour of charging. With Level 3 DC fast charging, 500-volt 190 kW, up to 71 miles of range is added in 10 minutes. Given 30 minutes of charging, you can add up to 141 miles of range.

Additional specifications, according to General Motors, include:

• 6,945 GVWR

• 5,870 base curb weight

• 904 pounds of payload

• 1,000 pounds of trailering capacity

• 26.2 cubic feet of cargo volume with the rear seat up

• 121.8-inch wheelbase

• 192.6-inch overall length

• 86.5-inch overall width, including mirrors

• 6.5 inches of ground clearance

• 19-degree approach angle

• 15-degree breakover angle

• 22-degree departure angle

Read More: Time to Change Our Pursuit Policies