Ford News: Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan is the First Pursuit Rated Hybrid Vehicle

[William Maley]

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Ford has introduced another member of their police interceptor fleet with the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan (catchy name). The automaker claims this is pursuit-rated hybrid police car.

Based on the Fusion Hybrid sedan, Ford has done a bit of work to make it ready for the various hardships that police vehicles go through - prolong periods of idling, stop-and-go driving, traveling at high speed over long distances, and driving over obstacles. 

Under the hood is an Atkinson-cycle, 2.0L four-cylinder paired with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery. The powertrain has been calibrated to allow the vehicle to run in battery-only mode up to 60 mph and provide maximum performance when needed. The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will also get a combined 38 mpg, which is more than double the combined figure for the Police Interceptor sedan. Ford estimates police forces will save $3,900 in fuel costs per year (assuming gas prices hang around $2.50 per gallon).

The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will be making their debuts in Los Angeles and New York (we're guessing they have placed some orders for the model). Ford says the order books will open this spring, with deliveries following next summer.

Source: Ford
Press Release is on Page 2

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FORD CONTINUES DRIVE TO BE GLOBAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE LEADER, REVEALS INDUSTRY'S FIRST PURSUIT-RATED HYBRID POLICE CAR

• Ford investing $4.5 billion and introducing 13 new electric vehicles globally in the next five years, including F-150 Hybrid, Mustang Hybrid, Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, self-driving hybrid, and fully electric small SUV with projected EPA-estimated range of at least 300 miles
• Ford reveals industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car in New York and Los Angeles – all-new Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will potentially save customers thousands in fuel costs
• 50 percent of U.S. millennials say they are interested in buying an electric car; Ford predicts auto industry will offer customers more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles than gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, April 10, 2017 – Ford continues its drive to be a global electric vehicle leader – today revealing the second of 13 new electrified vehicles the company plans to introduce in the next five years.

The industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car, the all-new Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan, is part of a $4.5 billion Ford investment to make electric vehicles that give customers greater capability, productivity and performance – plus better fuel economy. The plans are part of Ford’s expansion to be an auto and a mobility company, including leading in electric and self-driving vehicles, and new mobility solutions.

“Electrifying our next generation of vehicles is core to our unwavering commitment to sustainability,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “By being a leader in electrified vehicles, we remain committed to delivering cars, trucks and SUVs that are better not only for our customers, but for the environment and society as well.”

The all-new Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan – making its debut in Los Angeles and New York – is the industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car. In addition, Ford is delivering:

• Another new hybrid police vehicle for North America
• All-new fully electric small SUV, coming by 2020, engineered to deliver an EPA-estimated range of at least 300 miles, to be sold in North America, Europe and Asia. Actual range will vary. Final EPA numbers not yet available.
• Hybrid-powered self-driving vehicle designed for commercial mobility services, starting in North America in 2021
• Hybrid version of best-selling F-150 pickup, available by 2020, and sold in North America and the Middle East. F-150 Hybrid will offer powerful towing and payload capacity, and will operate as a mobile generator tough enough to power a job site
• Hybrid version of iconic Mustang that will deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque. Mustang Hybrid debuts in 2020 in North America, to start
• Transit Custom plug-in hybrid available in 2019 in Europe, engineered to help reduce operating costs in even the most congested streets

Growing global demand
As growing urban populations are overwhelming transportation systems and compromising air quality, first-time car buyers – including 50 percent of U.S. millennials – say they are interested in purchasing an electric car, according to a poll conducted by the Consumer Federation of America.

Ford is at the forefront of driving electric vehicle technology and improving costs on batteries and motors for hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles. As the company focuses on vehicles that deliver improved performance – such as the F-150 Hybrid with powerful towing and payload capacity plus the ability to operate as an on-board generator – Ford expects sales of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles to dramatically increase during the next decade.

In fact, Ford predicts the auto industry will offer customers more hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles than gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 15 years.  

Ford partners with cities
Ford sells the most police vehicles in the United States, with 63 percent market share. The company has been partnering with cities on custom law enforcement vehicles since the days of the Model T.

The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan will help cities decrease emissions and offers the potential for significant fuel savings, both while driving and while idling. While driving, Ford’s patented hybrid technology is projected to provide EPA-estimated combined gas mileage of 38 miles per gallon – more than twice that of today’s Police Interceptor with 3.7-liter V6 with EPA-estimated 18 mpg combined. Actual mileage will vary. Final EPA-estimated ratings are not yet available. 

While idling, the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan’s lithium-ion battery helps power the high electrical loads of a police vehicle, reducing engine run time and saving an estimated 0.27 gallons of fuel per hour. Police Responder Hybrid Sedan customers could see nearly $3,900 a year in potential fuel savings per vehicle relative to the Police Interceptor, if a police vehicle is driven 20,000 miles per year, runs two shifts per day, 365 days per year, idles 4.9 hours per 8-hour shift, and is fueled at an average gas price of $2.50/gallon. The Ford Police Responder online fuel calculator enables customers to determine how much they may potentially save.

The new vehicle will be the first hybrid sedan with full pursuit capabilities. That means the car is certified by police agencies to be tough enough to handle police pursuits for longer periods at different speeds and over obstacles such as curbs and flooded intersections.

The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan uses an efficient Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter engine with an electric motor fed by an advanced lithium-ion battery. The hybrid is calibrated for law enforcement’s unique duty cycle and will run in battery-only mode up to 60 mph. The car automatically switches to maximum performance – with the engine and battery working at peak acceleration levels – when needed.

“Our mission to create safe and healthy communities in Los Angeles is achieved through sustainable approaches in community policing, and that includes embracing new technologies,” said Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department Chief. “Patrol vehicles are a police officer’s office, and we expect them to not only be economically and environmentally efficient, but also an effective tool for fighting crime in major metropolitan areas.”

The Police Responder Hybrid Sedan can be ordered this spring and will be delivered to police departments nationwide next summer.

This year, Ford also is testing a fleet of 20 Transit Connect hybrid taxi and van prototypes in demanding traffic conditions in New York and several other major U.S. cities.

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