Wow, those are really ugly. I personally think cop cars should stick to the basics as they have for years such as Tahoe's, Chargers, Explorers, and Crown Vics (bring it back Ford! lol) Anything that's hybrid just doesn't look right as a cop car.....but whatever floats their boat.

Wow, those are really ugly. I personally think cop cars should stick to the basics as they have for years such as Tahoe's, Chargers, Explorers, and Crown Vics (bring it back Ford! lol) Anything that's hybrid just doesn't look right as a cop car.....but whatever floats their boat.

The Crown Victoria is never coming back (as much as I wish it would). The modular 4.6 liter V8 was discontinued, the last one was put in a E-Series van last year. Though its larger family members, the 5.0, 5.2 Voodoo, and 5.4, and 6.8 are still being produced. And all panther platform schematics were destroyed by Ford back in 2011 (according to some people who were closely involved in production) after the St. Thomas assembly plant closed. If it were to come back, it would be very different and it'd likely be a rebadged current production vehicle that meets modern safety regulations, and CAFE fuel economy regulations. And I'm willing to bet it would house an Ecoboost V6, and be based on the unibody Ford CCD4 platform. 

The Charger and Caprice are the last of the RWD V8 sedan police cruisers. The Caprice is ending production in 2017, since the Holden plant that produces them is closing. Unless they move production to the U.S., which I doubt, because the Caprice has poor sales and there's no sense in producing an exclusive vehicle that doesn't sell well. So that leaves the Dodge Charger.

The auto industry is definitely changing, and police departments are starting to go along with it. 

Edited September 21, 201510 yr by Original Light

Wait.. And you posted the nicer one.

I can imagine these in a LSPDFR cop chase. Just bouncing off every suspects car and spinning out, as they spin out past you. 

 

However, don't think these are taking over cruisers or anything (yet) They are loaned, it's probably just a test..

" The LAPD has said that the cars are loaned - so no high-speed chases! - and will primarily be used for events and exhibitions. In other words, they are still assessing the EVs and won't put them in regular service at this point."

Sure, but it also lacks wiring prep for police equipment, rubber floor material, and I doubt any aftermarket companies have developed partitions, push bars, and other equipment to fit it due to its rarity. It seems like a nice car for someone with more money than brains, but not for a police vehicle. CVPI's, Tauruses, and Explorers can be kept running with duct tape and a hammer. I view them as disposable cars. You can beat on them all day and they keep coming back for more, but most likely not this car. I'm not sure about how reliable it will be in the long run. I'm not saying an electric vehicle can't go 400,000 miles like some gasoline vehicles have been known to do, like Ford's livestock, specifically (the CVPI), but electric cars are a whole different breed. We simply haven't mastered them yet as we have with gasoline vehicles. 
When gas cars first came out, specifically the old carburetor engines, those were usually unreliable. But now we've mastered gas engines, and they're at the peek of their efficiency, power output, and general reliability. We can now have a 4 cylinder car make more power than an 8 cylinder used to (for example, the new 4 cylinder Mustang makes 305 HP). 

The gasoline engine will still be around for a very long time. You can't beat cubic inches and general displacement for longevity, reliability, and ease of cost. As of now, an electric police car does not make any sense. Not until they're more developed and our battery capabilities are improved. Also, I highly doubt large trucks, such as the F-350, will ever have an all electric powertrain. At least not for a very long time. 

Electric cars are significantly more reliable than equivalent gas cars. Electric motors are mechanically simple and extremely reliable (we have spent a *ton* of effort optimizing them), and most of the rest of the powertrain simply doesn't have to exist (unlike a gasoline engine, you can directly hook an electric motor to the wheels and have it work fine). The Tesla S has a single-speed transmission, and transmissions might become more common in the future, but between "gasoline engine with many moving parts and reciprocating motion" and "electric motor with one moving part and smooth motion," the electric motor wins hands-down.

It's not like electric motors are unheard of for heavy loads. Trains (at least in the US) virtually all use electric motors; diesel trains use the diesel engine as a generator (because electric motors have high torque at low RPM, and a diesel engine alone cannot really start a train moving). The issue with internal combustion engines is that they work well at a narrow range of RPM, but very poorly outside that range. Electric motors are very quick to change RPM and have virtually constant torque.

Electric cars are significantly more reliable than equivalent gas cars. Electric motors are mechanically simple and extremely reliable (we have spent a *ton* of effort optimizing them), and most of the rest of the powertrain simply doesn't have to exist (unlike a gasoline engine, you can directly hook an electric motor to the wheels and have it work fine). The Tesla S has a single-speed transmission, and transmissions might become more common in the future, but between "gasoline engine with many moving parts and reciprocating motion" and "electric motor with one moving part and smooth motion," the electric motor wins hands-down.

It's not like electric motors are unheard of for heavy loads. Trains (at least in the US) virtually all use electric motors; diesel trains use the diesel engine as a generator (because electric motors have high torque at low RPM, and a diesel engine alone cannot really start a train moving). The issue with internal combustion engines is that they work well at a narrow range of RPM, but very poorly outside that range. Electric motors are very quick to change RPM and have virtually constant torque.

I did not know that. I just haven't seen actual examples of it yet. Sure, on paper maybe it is more reliable, but there aren't a lot of prime examples of well used and abused electric cars. Mainly because they're still new, and there's not a lot of them. But an engine's reliability also owns to the fact of the materials used. You can have an electric engine made out of poor quality, thin metals with a horrible design, and a gas engine made out of high quality materials. The gas engine will outlast the electric one. It isn't just about simplicity. Years ago Chrysler stated that they used nickel (I think, forgot what it was exactly) and some generally uncommon metals in their engines, and they were significantly more reliable than other automakers in that time period due to the internal parts not breaking down as fast as usual.

I want the CV back!

 

i would like to see this with steelies and a go rhino push bar.