Ford Pro as a division of the Ford Motor Company that focuses on the production of commercial vehicles has launched its first electric pickup truck that was made specifically for the fleet of the United States (US) police department.
The electric truck is the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV (Special Service Vehicle) 2023. With this pickup truck, Ford has shown its commitment to helping lead cities in the US towards the world of sustainability, especially the era of electrification.
Ford Pro National Government Sales Manager, Nate Oscarson, said that the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV will be a modern US police pickup truck that is always ready to work to help save costs, drive efficiency and accelerate sustainability targets for its customers.
“We are proud to offer America’s first electric police pickup truck to local government customers who can use truck game-changing technology to help increase their productivity.”
In black and white, the typical US police force, the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV 2023 will be assigned as a Police Responder to help address special police needs outside of a pursuit situation, such as assisting at an accident or crime scene or providing the ability to tow a boat or trailer.
The exterior does look the same as the standard version which was launched since 2021. However, this police-only electric pickup truck is equipped with a Mega Power Frunk which adds extra storage to the front cargo area of 0.40 m3 (14.1 ft3) as well as an LED warning beacon or a roof-mounted siren.
The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV 2023 is also equipped with Pro Power Onboard technology that can function as a mobile power source to illuminate nighttime crash incidents on the highway.
This electric pickup truck is also equipped with a built-in steel intrusion plate on the front which exudes the sturdiness, toughness and strength of a heavy-duty police fleet coupled with a high-strength steel frame and a military-grade high-quality aluminum-grade body.
Entering the cabin, the interior of the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is also the same as the standard version such as the presence of a 12-inch digital cluster screen and a 12-inch landscape-style touch screen in the middle stack. Both are equipped with Sync4 technology.
This pickup is also equipped with ‘heavy-duty police’ class seats which can be adjusted in 4 directions manually to make getting in and out of the vehicle easier for both police officers and other passengers.
Cutting-edge technology also comes as standard which includes Intelligent Range, Ford Power Up software updates over-the-air and Ford Co-Pilot360 technology, including Automatic Emergency Braking and Blindspot Information System (BLIS) with Cross-Traffic Alert.
As a fast moving fleet, the performance of the electric pickup is certainly quite amazing. The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is armed with an electric motor that can generate power up to 580 hp with a peak torque of 1,050 Nm. The power and torque are channeled to all-wheel drive (4WD).
The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV also houses a liquid-cooled Lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 131 kWh. With that, the battery of this electric pickup truck is able to store enough electrical power to cover a distance of up to 482 km and can accelerate from 0-100 kph in 4 seconds.
The electric recharge system has also implemented fast charging technology, where only 10 minutes is enough to cover a distance of 87 km. Charging from 15 percent to 80 percent took 41 minutes. Interestingly, in an emergency, the Ford F-150 Lightning battery can act as a backup generator to power household electricity for three days.
For information, Ford has provided vehicles to the US police department for more than 70 years. Today, Ford Pro customers cover more than 12,000 police departments across the country and its line of police vehicles sells more than any other police vehicle.
