Mich. State Police Rolls Out 1st Battery Electric Vehicle Fleet
By Dominic Genetti
Source The Huron Daily Tribune, Bad Axe, Mich.
Monday marks a historic day for the Michigan State Police. The agency announced it is rolling out its first battery electric vehicle fleet Jan. 13 with 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E.
"The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is assigned to MSP's State Security Operations Section to be used by state properties security officers, who are armed, uniformed members of the MSP who specialize in general law enforcement and security services at state-owned and leased facilities in the Lansing area," the press release announcing the fleet reads.
Other police agencies that use the Ford Mach-E include Ann Arbor, Michigan; Oakdale, California; and Westchester County, New York.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle performs on patrol," Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP, said in a statement. "Our state properties security officers patrol a substantially smaller number of miles per day than our troopers and motor carrier officers, within city limits and at lower speeds, coupled with the availability of charging infrastructure in downtown Lansing, making this the ideal environment to test the capabilities of a police-package battery electric vehicle."
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In a report from Car and Driver, a fellow Hearst publication, electric vehicles are actually quicker than gas-powered vehicles, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're faster.
"Generally speaking, electric motors make their maximum torque at 0 rpm; this makes their acceleration feel more instantaneous at low speeds than gas-powered c. EVs are often quicker than gasoline cars, but they're not always faster," Car and Driver writes. "This means that they can go from, say, 30 to 50 mph far more quickly but that their top speeds are often lower than gas cars."
Car and Driver also report that the Ford Mach-E was the No. 3 top selling car in 2024.
"We began testing battery electric vehicles in 2022, but up until now hybrids were the only alternative fuel vehicle in our fleet," Lt. Nicholas Darlington, commander of the Precision Driving Unit, said in a statement. "Adding this battery electric vehicle to our patrol fleet will allow us to study the vehicle's performance long-term to determine if there is a potential for cost savings and broader applicability within our fleet."
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