Photo: Courtesy of Ford Motor Company
Hybrid and performance are two concepts that seem mutually exclusive. However, the all-new 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility demonstrates you can have your cake and eat it too.
In fact, the all-new 2020 Interceptor Utility with standard hybrid and AWD offers law enforcement agencies improved power and performance, while providing potentially significant fuel and CO2 emissions savings to agencies and taxpayers.
Pursuit Power & Durability
Officers need their vehicles to deliver power and performance to fulfill their mission to keep the public safe. The all-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid delivers the power and performance needed to get the job done.
During recent testing by Michigan State Police, the standard hybrid 2020 Police Interceptor Utility beat all competitive SUV entries, including V-8-equipped models, with the fastest 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph acceleration times, fastest lap, fastest average lap, and highest top speed of 138 mph. Only one SUV performed better: The 400 hp EcoBoost version of the Interceptor. The testing also showed that the 2020 hybrid performed better than the previous-generation Police Interceptor Utility with 3.7L engine in these same categories.
The Police Interceptor Utility hybrid is calibrated for law enforcement’s unique duty cycle. When aggressive driving is detected, the Police Interceptor Utility automatically switches into Pursuit Mode to provide maximum performance — with the gasoline-powered engine and electric motor working together at peak performance levels when needed.
On the Police Interceptor’s standard hybrid, the electric motor’s high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack utilizes an advanced liquid cooling system. This integrated system helps keep the pack’s components operating at optimum temperature for best performance, powering the Interceptor hybrid’s 35kW electric motor in series with the 3.3L V6 gasoline engine, 10-speed modular transmission, and standard full-time Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. Combined together, the Police Interceptor Utility’s hybrid powertrain outputs a total system 318 horsepower and 322 lb.-ft. of torque. The hybrid battery pack also powers a full complement of law-enforcement equipment — from lights and radios, to laptops and printers, plus the cabin’s AC and heat — even when the engine shuts off during idle. Officers will remain calm, cool or warm, and collected.
The all-new vehicle not only delivers speed, but durability. The Police Interceptor Utility hybrid includes improved cooling, specially tuned braking system, front-door tethers to help protect door hinges from being overextended, and police-purposed steel wheels, tires, and hubcaps that are designed to withstand the rigors of a chase. The vehicle is also tested for eight-inch curb impact, median crossing, 30-mph railroad crossing, and water fording to 18 inches at 15 mph and 10 inches at 40 mph.
Ford Police Interceptors continue to be the only vehicles in the world engineered to meet the 75-mph rear-impact crash test. The federal standard for such testing is 50 mph. Additionally, advanced safety technology directs impact forces away from occupants, crumple zones absorb and dissipate crash energy, and Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) architecture provides structural reinforcement and side-impact protection.
Potentially Significant Hybrid Fuel Savings
In today’s budget-conscious environment, the all-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid delivers potentially significant fuel savings in addition to the improved power and performance vs. the previous-generation 3.7L engine.
Fuel can be one of the biggest expenses for fleets of all types — including those of law-enforcement agencies — and adding Ford Police Interceptors with standard hybrid powertrain is one way to potentially save significantly on fuel costs and demonstrate to taxpayers and stakeholders that agencies are being wise financial stewards.
The 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility with standard hybrid AWD has an EPA-estimated rating of 24 mpg Combined, compared an EPA-estimated rating of 17 mpg Combined for the previous-generation vehicle with 3.7L engine — a 41% improvement.
Based on an estimated 20,000 miles driven per year, the 2020 model will potentially save agencies about 343 gallons of fuel per year. When idling is added into the mix, agencies can potentially save an additional 933 gallons of fuel per year, for a total potential fuel savings of 1,276 gallons of fuel per vehicle, per year. At $2.75 per gallon, that’s over $3,500 per year, per vehicle; at $4.50 per gallon that’s over $5,700 per year, per vehicle. Agencies are invited to go here and calculate their own scenarios.
These savings also translate into a potential environmental benefit of more than 25,000 pounds of CO2 emissions reductions per vehicle, per year.
The Police Interceptor Utility includes a standard Ford modem and two-years complimentary Ford Telematics service — a powerful, simple-to-use tool that provides vehicle data regarding fuel use, CO2 emissions reductions, vehicle health and more. Bluetooth is also standard, helping to keep officers’ hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
This combination of power, performance, and potentially significant fuel savings makes the Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid the right choice for a standard issue law-enforcement vehicle.
For more information about the all-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid, as well as other Ford Police vehicles, go to www.fordpolicevehicles.com.