Following on from the pursuit-rated police hybrid sedan and F-150 Police Responder it released earlier this year, Ford has unveiled a Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan aimed at those in government or law enforcement whose job description doesn't involve chasing criminals and performing PIT maneuvers.
The Special Service Plug-In Hybrid Sedan has a 7.6-kWh lithium-ion battery that Ford says is good for 21 miles (34 km) and a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h) on battery power alone. Charging via a 240-volt, level two charger is pegged at 2.5 hours, though Ford expects most customers will get by using the slower option of a regular 120-volt outlet.
Using the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine to top up the battery brings the range up to over 500 miles (805 km).
From the outside the new hybrid is suitably discreet compared to its beat-ready stablemates, but it still packs plenty of specialist gear under its skin. This includes heavy-duty cloth seats with rear anti-stab plates, reinforced top tray and a metal console plate for mounting equipment, red and white task lighting in the overhead console and an auxiliary power distribution box in the trunk.
The new sedan can also be optioned with inconspicuous emergency lighting, driver spot-lamp, trunk storage vault and ventilation system, and the ability to disable the controls for the rear doors. For midnight stakeouts, there's also a "dark-car" feature that turns off interior lighting and dims the dash cluster.
Ford will be taking orders for the new sedan in December with deliveries to be expected in mid 2018.
Source: Ford