There's no state as associated with cars and car culture as Michigan — and the state that's home to the Motor City just took a big step into the future with the installation of its first-ever electric police car.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is assigned to the Michigan State Police State Security Operations Section, and will be used by armed, uniformed members of the MSP who focus on general law enforcement and security services at state agencies in the state. Lansing, MI area.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle works when patrolling,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of MSP. “Our state's building security officers patrol far fewer miles per day than our troopers and police cruisers, within city limits and at lower speeds, coupled with the availability of charging infrastructure in downtown Lansing, making this an ideal testing ground for a police battery pack electric vehicle.”
MSP's Precision Driving Unit is nationally known for its annual Police Vehicle Test, which our Scooter doll participated in last year, driving a Chevy Blazer EV Police Pursuit in a game of “cops and robbers.”
In those tests, EVs have impressed – but MSP has been hesitant to commit to BEVs until now. “We started testing battery electric vehicles in 2022, but until now hybrids have been the only gasoline vehicle in our company,” said Lt. Nicholas Darlington, commander of the Precision Driving Unit. “Adding this battery-powered vehicle to our patrol fleet will allow us to study the vehicle's performance over time to determine whether there is potential for cost savings and broader interoperability between our fleets.”
Michigan is joining other states like Wisconsin and California in rolling out electric patrol cars and saving big on fuel and maintenance, with more on the way and more to come.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: Michigan State Police.
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