Michigan State Police is testing the all-electric 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E police vehicle in a special unit that will evaluate the vehicle and then publish the results of its performance to police fleet managers and purchasing agents nationwide — potentially having a huge impact on Ford Motor Co.'s future police fleet sales.

On Monday, the Michigan State Police said it added its first EV, the Mach-E, to use on patrol starting immediately. The car is assigned to the police's State Security Operations Section. Officers in that section are armed, uniformed police who specialize in law enforcement and security at state-owned and leased facilities in the Lansing area, the state police said. 

“This is an exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle performs on patrol,” Col. James Grady, director of the Michigan State Police, said in a statement.

Grady said these security officers patrol substantially fewer miles per day than regular troopers and motor carrier officers, and they stay within city limits at lower speeds. So that fact, combined with the availability of charging stations in downtown Lansing, create a good environment to test a police-package EV, he said.

Other police agencies that use the Ford Mach-E include Ann Arbor; Oakdale, California and Westchester County, New York, according to www.officer.com.

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Ford's expertise in police vehicles

Lindsey Bertino, Ford's police brand marketing manager. told the Detroit Free Press that Ford will work with the state police through their annual Police Vehicle Evaluation testing, and with the patrol represented on Ford's Police Advisory Board. 

She said the Mustang Mach-E Police Pilot program was originally launched as a 2022 model year program and tested at the Michigan State Police's Police Evaluation performance testing. 

"We have utilized insight from this testing for continuous improvement to our police vehicles strategy," Bertino said. "We are honored that (Michigan State Police) is using the Mustang Mach-E to help study how alternate powertrains will perform long term in daily patrol duties."

The results of the Michigan State Police test matter to Ford, as proven a few years ago when Ford put out a news release touting that its all-new 2020 Police Interceptor Utility was given the score of best accelerating and fastest police vehicle in America, according to preliminary test data from the Michigan State Police at the time. Ford said it, "bested all entries, including V8-equipped sedans, with its EcoBoost-powered all-wheel-drive version of the all-new 2020 Police Interceptor Utility, posting fastest 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph times, as well as fastest lap and fastest average lap."

Ford has a history dating to the early 1900s of offering police vehicles. In 1915, the Oakland, California, police force was so impressed with Ford vehicles that it standardized its fleet of light cars to all Ford models, according to Ford's archives.

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Then, in 1950, Ford was the first automaker to offer a police-package vehicle. It offered three power options: the V-8 special, the Ford 100 horsepower V8 and the Ford 95 horsepower six. It had engineering and design improvements, and special provisions for extra comfort, durability, speed and safety. The police package was popular nationwide, with the New York Police Department ordering 430 Fords, the largest order ever by a department at the time.

Today, Ford offers a variety of vehicles equipped for police work, including the F-150 Lightning Pro Special Service Vehicles. In 2023, the Claremont, New Hampshire, Police Department put one of the nation's first Lightning SSV's on the road thanks to the vehicle being donated to it by a local Ford dealership. The Lightning Pro SSV is one of the first EVs purpose-built for police departments.

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But Ford's biggest seller is the gasoline-powered Interceptor SUV, which is based on the Explorer, with a top speed of 150 mph. The 2024 model started at $47,165. Ford spokesman Said Deep said that vehicle is used by many police departments nationwide.

The state police paid $39,600 for its Mach-E, spokesman Mike Shaw said.

'Potential for cost savings'

The Michigan State Police’s Precision Driving Unit is nationally known for its annual Police Vehicle Evaluation. The unit tests and evaluates police vehicles from various manufacturers to include alternative fuel vehicles. The data is compiled and published to help police fleet managers and purchasing agents nationwide determine the best vehicles for their use.

“We began testing battery electric vehicles in 2022, but up until now hybrids were the only alternative fuel vehicle in our fleet,” Lt. Nicholas Darlington, commander of the Precision Driving Unit, said in a statement. “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.”

State police spokesman Shaw told the Free Press the Mach-E test period before publishing the evaluation is undecided, saying, "They may do a year-by-year or just one at the end." 

Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.