DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The next time the cops chase you down for speeding, they could be driving a fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid.
Ford Motor Co. says it will offer a police pursuit version of the hybrid Fusion midsize sedan, in response to requests from cities nationwide. Ford sells more police cars in the U.S. than any other automaker.
The new car, with its 2-Liter four-cylinder engine and 1.4 kilowatt lithium-ion battery, is expected to get 38 miles per gallon of gas in combined city-highway driving. That’s 20 mpg more than Ford’s current police car, the Taurus police interceptor.
Ford says the hybrids are fast enough and durable enough to handle police duty.
At $2.50 per gallon for gas, a police department would save $3,877 per year in fuel costs per vehicle, Ford says.
