Towns and cities across the United States could soon see electric police vehicles on patrol in their local community.
In Claremont, New Hampshire, one of the nation's first police-specified electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks was put into service for the local police department toward the end of July, as WMUR TV tweeted.
Former NYPD officer donates first electric police truck to Claremont Police Department https://t.co/A1t6dLpXs4
— WMUR TV (@WMUR9) July 26, 2023
While the F-150 Lightning is available commercially, the models the police service will use have a number of additional features that won't be available to consumers.
According to Electrek, those features include built-in steel intrusion plates in the front seatbacks, a reinforced instrument panel for police equipment, and police-grade heavy-duty cloth seats.
Electrek added that police vehicles could feature an extended-range battery if required, in addition to a boost in horsepower and towing capacity.
This particular model was donated to the Claremont Police Department by former NYPD officer Christian Gomes, who is now dealer principal at Ford of Claremont, according to Government Fleet.
In December 2021, United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order to reduce releases of heat-trapping pollution across federal operations.
A government statement noted that the Department of the Interior began a transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) earlier that year. In New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, U.S. Park Police are switching to 100% ZEVs across dirt bikes and light motorcycles, with the intention to reach a 100 ZEV fleet by 2025.
Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security began testing the Ford Mustang Mach-E ZEV in the field for use in its law enforcement fleet.
The F-150 Lightning's commercial range offers a range of 240 miles in vehicles featuring its standard battery range. This can be improved to 300 miles for Platinum models and 320 miles for XLT and Lariat models, according to Ford.
For local communities, the lack of tailpipe emissions from police vehicles will help improve air quality, helping prevent pollution-related illnesses such as respiratory infections and pulmonary disease while also minimizing the risk of stroke or asthma attacks.
"Thank you Ford of Claremont for your continued support," the Claremont Police Department said in a Facebook post. "The dealership recently donated this 100% electric Ford Lightning to the Claremont Police Department, along with the emergency lights and charging station equipment."
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