Ann Arbor police department getting Ford Mustang Mach-E patrol cars

Ann Arbor's police department announced it will replace a pair of gasoline-burning patrol cars with two examples of the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. It's the first law enforcement agency in America to enlist the new EV.

Michigan-based news outlet MLive reported that Ann Arbor officials approved the $93,926 purchase in December 2020. It didn't reveal the precise configuration ordered by the department, but it pointed out that both cars will be equipped with dual-motor all-wheel-drive to cope with Michigan's cold, icy winters. Matt Kulhanek, the city's fleet manager, told the publication that officers will be able to drive for about 210 miles on a single charge, which suggests that the department selected the standard, 75-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. Ford also offers a long-range pack with a capacity of 98 kilowatt hours that unlocks up to 300 miles of driving range.

Going electric will require Ann Arbor police to spend $5,000 on Level 2 charging stations. Of the total purchase price, $30,549 will be provided by the city's sustainability office, according to MLive, and officials expect the fuel savings will ultimately offset the purchase and the associated costs. Ford doesn't offer a Police Interceptor variant of the Mach-E, so the department will need to commission a third-party company to add parts like a light bar.

Ann Arbor will take delivery of its electric patrol cars later in 2021. While it's the first city to enlist the Mustang Mach-E as a patrol car, its department isn't the first to go gas-free. Several cities in California use Tesla-built police cars, Los Angeles spent over $10 million on a fleet of BMW i3s that it allegedly either misused or didn't use at all, and, across the pond, the Swiss canton of St. Gallen added a Hyundai Kona Electric to its fleet in 2019.

Meanwhile, in Dubai, police officers are receiving training on how to operate a hoverbike.