Ford details hybrid Police Interceptor Utility
The electrified interceptor could save an estimated $3,200 in fuel expenses each year.
Ford has introduced a new hybrid powertrain for the Police Interceptor Utility, likely previewing a hybrid Explorer for civilian buyers.
The company has not released full technical details, though the hybrid promises to accelerate faster and achieve a higher top speed than the previous V6-powered model.
Ford estimates the hybrid edition will have an EPA-estimated combined efficiency of at least 24 mpg, representing a 40-percent improvement over the current naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6. Projecting the efficiency improvement over the course of a year in a typical police department, the company says the hybrid could save $3,200 per year in fuel bills.
"If you applied these savings to every Ford Police Interceptor Utility sold in 2017, it would equate to more than $126 million at $2.93 a gallon, or more than 43 million gallons of fuel," the automaker says.
The new Police Interceptor Utility hybrid will go on sale next summer.