Ford Just Revealed an Electric Police Truck
Since its announcement, the Ford F-150 Lightning has been making waves. As Ford’s first full-size electric truck, it mixes old-school utility with modern automotive technology. The blue oval has more plans for this EV truck than just selling it to civilians. Apparently, the brand is making a variant for use by police departments. And Ford has stated that doing so could help reduce costs as well as increase efficiency. So, what’s the deal with the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV?
Does Ford make police vehicles?
Since 1950, Ford has offered vehicles that can be used by police agencies. From the iconic Crown Victoria to modern police SUVs, these vehicles often offer upgrades that are not typically seen on normal production vehicles. If you have ever seen the 1980 movie, “The Blues Brothers” you are likely familiar with Elwood’s iconic quote regarding the new Bluesmobile. Although, it’s worth mentioning that the Bluesmobile was not a Ford, but a Dodge Monaco.
Today, police departments still have access to a variety of models that are made especially for law enforcement. And now, you can add an electric truck to this list. According to Car and Driver, the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is on its way.
What’s different about the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV?
The police version of the Lightning is not all that different from the standard model. It still has a 12.0-inch display in the dash, and performance is unchanged. That said, Ford is adding “police-grade heavy-duty” cloth seats. And those should help this truck stand up to daily use as a police cruiser.
Other changes include the typical police lighting for emergency use and steel plates in the front seatbacks. Perhaps the biggest perk of adding this vehicle to a police department is the Pro Power Onboard feature. This system turns the Ford Lightning into a mobile power generator. And that could certainly come in handy at accident scenes.
Ford has also stated that the EV trucks will use Ford Pro software. 12,000 police departments are already using this system, and it helps agencies manage their fleets.
Will the Ford F-150 Lightning be a good police truck?
One major issue that could impact the use of the Lightning Pro SSV is charging. If a department does not have charging stations, this truck would quickly become just a heavy paperweight. In order to combat this, Ford says it will offer municipal loan programs to help purchase, install, and get charging stations operational.
The specific details of pricing and delivery dates have not yet been revealed. But surely some departments will be eager to make the jump into EV technology. Especially if electric vehicles can help save money in the long run.
Who knows when Pro SSV trucks will arrive. Normal orders of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning have started to get into the hands of buyers, but you can no longer order one. It may take a bit before we see EV Ford trucks going to work for their communities.
