Ford presents its 2021 F-150 police response as “the only American pickup truck built for this purpose, pursued by the pursuit.
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The next time you are shot, it may be by an officer in a Ford truck instead of a traditional “police car.”
Ford Motor unveiled its new 2021 F-150 Police Responder on Tuesday, ahead of the spring state and local government tender cycles. Commercial vehicles, such as police vehicles, are a focal point of the company under Ford CEO Jim Farley, who took over from Jim Hackett in October.
Demand for a police version of the Ford F-150 has grown steadily since its introduction in 2017, according to a Ford Motor spokeswoman. She declined to disclose specific sales of the pickup truck or Ford range of police vehicles.
The shift from police cars to commercial vehicles, such as pickups and SUVs, is a broader trend for automakers away from passenger sedans. Ford stopped its last police car, a Ford Taurus, a few years ago. A police version of the Ford Explorer is now its best-selling model, according to the company.
2021 F-150 Police Responder
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The police pickup is based on the consumer version of the truck, but includes special options and settings to “fulfill a rigorous use of law enforcement” at speeds up to 120 mph. The pickup also has a new “police engine at idle”, which allows officers to remove the keys from the ignition and get out of the truck safely, with the engine started at the touch of a button.
The new police pickup, such as the consumer truck, offers remote or over-the-air connectivity, as well as data and telematics analysis to support the vehicle’s uptime, operating costs and driving behavior. Customers can also choose to order a vehicle without a front console between the driver and the front passenger, which allows agencies to more easily install their own department-specific consoles.