Ford · 1992–present

Ford police vehicles

Ford police vehicles constitute the automobiles manufactured and sold by the Ford Motor Company for use as police cars and other car-based emergency vehicles. Though Ford has been producing police-oriented fleet vehicle variants of their full-size Ford sedans since the 1950s, the primary nameplate used by Ford for police vehicles since 1992 has been the Ford Police Interceptor, consisting of existing Ford models modified and sold for frontline police and emergency service use. A similar nameplate, the Ford Police Responder, was introduced in the mid-2010s, consisting of special-duty police vehicles not intended to be used in frontline roles. Ford police vehicles are sold to, and are popular among, law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, though they have also seen limited success outside North America. The Ford Police Interceptor and Ford Police Responder are intended to compete with the Chevrolet 9C1 and the Dodge Charger Pursuit and Durango Pursuit. As of 2025, the only Ford Police Interceptor in production is the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, a variant of the Ford Explorer. The Ford Police Responder line consists of variants of the Ford F-150, Ford Expedition, and Ford Transit. Sedans have not been part of the Ford police vehicle lineup since 2020, but historically included the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, and Ford Fusion Hybrid. Police variants of Ford's electric vehicles have reportedly been considered, including variants of the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.

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Background

Ford vehicles have been popular with police since the company's infancy, and Ford often sold directly to police departments; however, these did not use the "Police Interceptor" name. In 1951, Ford named the optional flathead V-8 for the 1949 Ford the "Interceptor"; this engine was available in the model's Police Package. The practice of naming Ford's Police Package motors "Interceptor" continued through the 1950s. The Ford LTD Crown Victoria, produced from 1979 to 1991, used the "P72" production code designation for fleet models. However, none used the name "Police Interceptor".

Ford Police Interceptor

=== Crown Victoria Police Interceptor === The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) was the first Ford vehicle to use the "Police Interceptor" name, and was introduced in 1992, based on the first generation Ford Crown Victoria. It featured a 4.6-liter Modular V8 engine and either a Ford AOD/AOD-E or Ford 4R70W 4-speed automatic transmission. For almost the entirety of its first generation production run from 1992 to 1997, the CVPI closely resembled the civilian market Crown Victoria, including its 1995 facelift. In 1998, the CVPI received a second generation redesign alongside the civilian Crown Victoria. Though the second generation CVPI initially continued to closely resemble its civilian market version, significant model redesigns in the early 2000s, including the removal of chrome trim and the replacement of its civilian slatted grille in favor of a unique honeycomb grille, gave the CVPI an increasingly distinct appearance. To continue to provide a civilian appearance for unmarked police cars, the "Street Appearance Package" was introduced as an option, designed to closely resemble the civilian Crown Victoria. When the Ford Crown Victoria was discontinued in the civilian market in 2008, the CVPI remained in production. 2011 was the final model year for the CVPI. The last CVPI was sold to the Kansas Highway Patrol, which they outfitted as a retro style parade car. To replace the CVPI, Ford introduced police variants of the sixth generation Taurus and fifth generation Ford Explorer in 2012 for the 2013 model year. The names for both cars were the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan and Ford Police Interceptor Utility, respectively. Police Interceptor Sedan. The Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (FPIS) was introduced as the sedan of the Ford Police Interceptor range for

Ford Police Responder

Ford Police Responder is a nameplate applied to Ford police vehicles that can be used as patrol vehicles, but are not intended to be used in "frontline" situations that are more suited for the Ford Police Interceptor range, such as highway patrol. It is often used alongside their Special Service Vehicle (SSV) designation, used for support-oriented vehicles that are designed for specific applications (such as prisoner transport or off-roading) or are not intended to take part in pursuits. Police Responder Hybrid Sedan. The Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan (FPRHS) was introduced for the 2019 model year, based on the second generation Ford Fusion Hybrid. Unlike the Ford Police Interceptor range, the FPRHS was intended for urban police departments that are less likely to be involved in high speed collisions compared to highway patrol. The FPRHS is the first pursuit-rated hybrid electric vehicle. Reception to the FPRHS was mixed. The Salt Lake City Police Department purchased 110 units, but controversy arose when officers complained about its "unsafe" cramped seating space and lack of all-wheel drive capabilities, with several officers claiming it was "not suitable for patrol" and urging the city to purchase FPIUs instead. However, other police departments such as the New York City Police Department—which had already been using Fusions before the FPRHS's release—favored it for its fuel efficiency and maneuverability in dense city traffic. The FPRHS was discontinued alongside the Ford Fusion in 2020. F-150 Police Responder. The Ford F-150 Police Responder was introduced for the 2018 model year, based on the thirteenth generation Ford F-Series, specifically a four-door SuperCrew cab with the FX4 off-road package. According to Ford, it is "the industry's first pursuit-rated

Electric vehicles

As of June 2024, the only electric vehicle in the Ford police vehicle lineup is the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV. The Ford Mustang Mach-E, introduced for the 2021 model year, is used by several police forces in the United States and Canada and was offered to British police by Ford of Europe in 2021, but is not formally offered as a fleet vehicle. However, a Mustang Mach-E passed the 2021 fleet tests by the Michigan State Police, and 2024 fleet tests included a Mustang Mach-E alongside the Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV, suggesting Ford may be considering an official police variant to compete with the Blazer EV.

Popularity

While all of the Big Three automakers have offered police vehicles and had market shares proportionate to their overall market share, since the late 1990s Ford has had a near-monopoly on such vehicles in the United States, following General Motors discontinuing the B platform in 1996 and Chrysler discontinuing the M body vehicles in 1989. While GM (through Chevrolet) and Chrysler (through Dodge) continued to offer police vehicles after ending production of their last non-truck body-on-frame vehicles, and continue to do so today (Dodge as part of Chrysler successor Stellantis), many police forces continued to order from Ford due to their commitment to traditional body on frame construction and its ease of maintenance as opposed to vehicles with unibody construction. By the time Ford retired the Panther platform in 2011 without a body-on-frame replacement, they had gained such a significant market share from law enforcement agencies that they continued to order from Ford out of brand loyalty. Additionally, foreign automakers with major North American operations such as Toyota have never offered police vehicles in the United States, reducing the competition they face.

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