It was an announcement that made both the automotive and law enforcement media take notice. Ford was sending a police-marked version of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E to the Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluations. It would be the first electric vehicle to be tested at the annual event.
Ford released that news on Sept. 17, just a week after the company had shown a police concept car over in the United Kingdom, complete with yellow and blue police markings. Some in the auto press believed the all-electric SUV was better suited to European police duty. Ford challenged that belief, releasing photos of a baby blue and black U.S. police concept Mach-E and taking the battery-powered Mustang for a run with the Michigan troopers.
Run is exactly what the Mustang Mach-E did. Under the command of Lt. Mike McCarthy, head of the MSP’s precision driving unit, the electric SUV performed impressively at the Chelsea Proving Grounds.
McCarthy piloted the electric Mustang to 120 mph in just under three quarters of a mile. Its top speed of 124 mph was a few notches below the PI Utility Hybrid, but still very respectable. The Mach-E was also quick, reaching 0 to 60 mph in an average of 4.03 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in an average of 11.94 seconds. Those acceleration figures are better than Ford’s current line of Police Interceptor Utility pursuit-rated SUVs. Braking was also impressive. MSP projected the Mach-E’s stopping distance at 125 feet. That’s better than all of Ford’s pursuit-rated SUVs, according to MSP.
