FORD CANADA - With experts predicting fuel prices are headed for record highs this year, the fuel efficiency of the new Ford Police Interceptors has the potential to help America's cash-strapped cities reduce their fuel bills.
Ford engineers tuned the all-new Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle models to save fuel even when they are standing still, with no sacrifice to pursuit performance.
The city and highway fuel economy ratings for the new Police Interceptors have increased by an impressive 25 percent over the retired Crown Victoria. But many law enforcement vehicles spend the majority of their lives idling, and that is where the new models can provide even more fuel savings.
"Our latest fuel-efficient V6 engines deliver on our promise for increased performance and improved economy, while providing government agencies with a money-saving solution," said Bill Gubing, chief engineer of the Ford Police Program.
Top fuel economy and performance
The Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle that are now being delivered to law enforcement agencies are available with efficient powertrain packages that provide more performance and better fuel economy, and are paired with standard and exclusive all-wheel drive for optimized traction and control. The base 3.5-liter V6 in the Police Interceptor sedan delivers 288 horsepower and EPA-certified fuel economy of 11.4 L/100 km city, 7.5 L/100km highway. Compared to the Crown Victoria – North America's top-selling law enforcement vehicle for the past 15 years – the Police Interceptor sedan offers a fuel improvements and 38 more horsepower.
The optional EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 in the all-wheel-drive Police Interceptor sedan is rated at 365 horsepower and is EPA-certified at 13.3 L /100 km city, 8.8 L/ 100 km highway. In recent Los Angeles Sheriff's Department testing, the EcoBoost Police Interceptor beat all competitive police cars from General Motors and Chrysler in 0-60 mph acceleration tests.
The Police Interceptor utility is built with a 3.7-liter V6 rated at 304 horsepower. The EPA rating of 13.1 L / 100 km city, 9.1 L / 100 km highway is best in class, topping the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV. The Police Interceptor utility easily out-accelerated the V8-powered Tahoe in the LASD tests, reaching 60 mph in 8.4 seconds compared with 9.5 seconds for the Tahoe
Fuel-sipping while idle
A recent study of police car use in Ottawa, Canada, showed the average police vehicle idles for up to 6.7 hours in every 10-hour shift. And, according to Police Fleet Magazine, the typical police vehicle wastes two litres (half a gallon) of fuel for each hour it idles.
The 3.5-liter V6 engine in the Police Interceptor sedan uses 35 percent less fuel idling than did the 4.6-liter V8 engine in the Crown Victoria. The 3.7-liter V6 in the Police Interceptor utility uses 32 percent less fuel when idling than the Crown Victoria's engine.
"Our extensive experience with the Crown Victoria and feedback from our Police Advisory Board helped us develop the next-generation Police Interceptor to be a no-compromise vehicle that can easily be outfitted to meet the needs of individual agencies," said Lisa Teed, Ford marketing manager for Police Interceptor.
Under the hood
All three Police Interceptor engines feature double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and Ti-VCT, or twin independent variable camshaft timing, plus several other high-tech features that improve fuel economy at idle and at speed without sacrificing the performance that is required by law enforcement.
An example of how Ford engineers improved the fuel economy of both Police Interceptor models, beyond the powertrain changes, is outfitting the vehicles with EPAS, or electric power-assisted steering. The old-style hydraulic power steering system found on competitive police vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Caprice PPV and Dodge Charger, forces the engine to work harder – and waste fuel – at idle because the pump runs whenever the engine does.
When a Ford Police Interceptor is idling, no energy is consumed by the steering system until an officer turns the steering wheel. Other fuel improvements come from optimizing the energy consumed by the air conditioning compressor and alternator.
Purpose-built
Working with Ford's Police Advisory Board, which consists of law enforcement professionals from the United States and Canada who contributed to the development of these vehicles on attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver comfort and functionality, the new Police Interceptor vehicles are purpose-built to meet the requirements of this demanding industry.