The Los Angeles Police Department is poised to become one of the first departments in the country to use the new Ford Fusion hybrid pursuit-rated police car.
Chief Charlie Beck is scheduled at 10 a.m. to take the wraps off of two of the new Police Responders built for patrol work with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine and electric motor powered by a 1.4 kilowatt lithium ion battery. The vehicle can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds while getting 38 miles to a gallon of gasoline.
Two of the new Ford sedans sat under covers outside LAPD headquarters early Monday morning ahead of the announcement.
LAPD officials have not said how many of the vehicles the department will purchase and when they will go into service. But the LAPD is committed to purchasing 300 hybrid and hybrid-electric plug-in vehicles by 2020, police spokesman Josh Rubenstein told the Los Angeles Times.
The Fusion hybrid is one of 13 new hybrid and EV offerings Ford plans to have by 2021. The company has plans for another hybird police vehicle, an electric SUV and a hybrid F-150 pickup and Mustang.
In addition to its modern engine, the car has a deflector plate in front to prevent damage, wheels and tires that can handle high-performance driving and a regenerative braking system that harvests energy and includes capable 17-inch rotors and twin piston calipers. The car's suspension is beefed up to handle the duties of police work.
Ford also notes the Ford Fusion hybrid has been "J-turn tested."