The world’s first electric pickup truck design for police use has been revealed by Ford. The F-150 Lightning Pro Special Service Vehicle is built around a regular pure-electric F-150 Lightning, but with some changes required for law enforcement use.
Available with two electric powerplants, police departments in the US can choose between a 452hp model with 3.5-tonne towing capability, or a more powerful 580hp model capable of towing up to 4.5 tonnes behind it. Payload capacity peaks at just over a tonne.
Despite being practical, it’s also powerful; the 580hp truck can be propelled from standstill to 60mph in under four seconds.
The interior is less plush than the regular model, with heavy-duty cloth seats with reduced bolsters to help holstered officers enter and exit the vehicle more easily. Steel intrusion plates in the front seatbacks have also been fitted to reduce the risk of injury from cargo or passengers in the rear seats. The rear seats are trimmed with easy-to-clean vinyl.
A reinforced instrument panel top tray is fitted in the front for easy mounting of police equipment.
The F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is designed to handle specialised needs outside of pursuit situations, such as assisting at an accident or crime scene, or giving departments the ability to tow a boat or trailer. A ‘Mega Power Frunk’ gives officers 400 litres of lockable cargo area in the front of the truck, which also offers easy access for conversion companies to locate a 220-amp DC-DC power source. Pro Power Onboard gives users access to electric sockets in the rear capable of powering everything from work tools to rescue equipment.
Ford has provided police departments with vehicles to protect and serve communities for more than 70 years, with more than 12,000 police departments across the US using Ford vehicles.
Nate Oscarson, National Government Sales Manager, Ford Pro:
“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. Pro Power Onboard can serve as a mobile power source to light up evening accident scenes on the highway, the electric powertrain helps to potentially reduce costs associated with fuel and scheduled maintenance needs 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.”
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