Liam White 
The new 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder will have no issue keeping up with law-breaking criminals, or making sure the boys in blue get their morning donuts in a timely fashion. Either way, the truck proudly holds the title of America’s only purpose-built, pursuit-rated pickup truck. It’s also the fastest pursuit-rated vehicle police out there, and it has the numbers to prove it. Thanks to Michigan State Police testing, the F-150 Police Responder comes out ahead of any other production pursuit vehicle.
The Police Truck Isn’t Short On Power
The F-150 Police Responder sports a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque. The twin-turbocharged V6 helps rocket the truck from 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds, 1.2 seconds faster than last year’s model. It can do 0-100 in 13.1 seconds, substantially cutting down the 2020 F-150 Police Responder’s time from 16.8 seconds. The Police Responder also has a higher top speed of 120 mph.
According to Ford, law enforcement agencies said they wanted additional handling and performance capabilities in addition to the towing, hauling and off-road performance abilities the truck already offers. The Blue Oval obviously listened because the Ford police truck’s new technology speaks for itself. The Police Responder comes with a 4-Auto Mode, which provides torque-on-demand through an electrically actuated clutch that adjusts torque output depending on the terrain. Allen Magolan, Ford police vehicles integration manager, said that the 4-Auto Mode bridges the gap between the 2-High and 4-High driving modes, and it helps the driver maintain speeds when cornering.
The F-150 Police Responder Was Put Through The Ropes
In order to put the Ford police truck to the real test, both Michigan State Police and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department took it through rigorous vehicle dynamics testing. To simulate real-world pursuit driving conditions, the F-150 Police Responder was driven on winding and curving tracks for 32 laps, with and without a 400 lb. payload. The truck was also tested in a tight city course.
The F-150 Police Responder has been around since 2017 and is assembled at Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri. Most importantly, the new truck provides law enforcement with a faster way of responding to crimes and emergencies. As noted by Greg Ebel, Ford police vehicle brand manager, “Shaving even a few seconds off response times can make a big difference.” The release of the 2021 Ford F-150 Police Responder also means you’ll have a much harder time getting away if you decide to run.
