Ford builds F-150 Lightning Pro SSV for the police forces

The times are changing and police departments across the US have no choice but to start replacing their EcoBoost powered Explorer Interceptors and V8 Chargers with electric vehicles. Some forces already use Chevy Bolts and the NYPD has been testing Ford Mustang Mach-E for a while. But now Ford has introduced a real all-electric workhorse for the police.

Say hello to Ford F-150 Lightning SSV - the first electric, purpose-built pick-up truck for the police force. Ford has 12,000 police departments on its customer list and it sells more vehicles to the those than any other manufacturer. With the F-150 Lightning being a runaway success it was just a question of time before the SSV version comes to the market.

The F-150 Lightning SSV will come in two flavors - standard and extended battery. The standard battery will deliver power to a 452 hp electric motor with 775 lb-ft of torque, this version will have 7,700 lbs towing capacity and maximum payload of 2,235 pounds.

The extended battery version will come with 580 hp and the same 775 lb-ft of torque. Towing capacity goes up to 10,000 lbs and the acceleration is under 4 seconds from 0 to 60 mph (with the usual 1 foot roll-out).

The interior is tailored with seats made out of heavy-duty cloth. The seats have smaller bolsters to allow the drivers enter and exit the car easily when holstered, while the back of the seats have anti-intrusion plating installed. Rear seats are covered in vinyl for easy cleaning. The frunk will be equipped with 220A DC-DC power source which makes the truck a serious portable power source.

Ford is heading for a success where Tesla failed miserably - its cars were deemed unsuitable for the police service due to lack of interior space to accommodate all the equipment and weapons. F-150 Lightning comes with buckets of space, the interior is vast, the frunk offers 14.1 cubic feet of storage on top of dedicated storage on the cargo bed.

Police departments buying the F-150 will receive additional services from Ford Pro and can look forward to reducing their operating costs - less maintenance, lower costs of electricity compared to fuel and longer in-service hours. The days of V8 Crown Victorias sliding sideways in pursuit of criminals are truly over, now the baddies won’t even hear the police coming.

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