The New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) placed an order for 184 Ford Mustang Mach-E models in late 2021, and the NYPD has only now taken delivery of the first units.
According to the New York Post, there will eventually be 100 Mach-E GTs roaming the streets of the Big Apple, but only two dozen are being introduced for now.
These vehicles have been handed over to 10 Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens precincts. Each precinct has received at least two models. These models are the fastest cars ever purchased by the NYPD, as the GT trim's dual-motor and Extended Range battery option produce 480 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. The Mustang Mach-E GT can reach 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and has an EPA-estimated driving range of 270 miles.
As long as a car chase doesn't last longer than that, the cops should be just fine. According to Inspector Scott Olexa, charging stations are being built at multiple precincts, even though New York already has an impressive electric vehicle charging network. The officers driving these vehicles provide daily feedback to Olexa, who is the commander of fleet services. The feedback has been positive so far.
"Our officers are put to the test every day, and we know they are up to the challenge," said First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban. "We must ensure the vehicles they are driving can hold up as well."
The GT police car made its public debut at the New York International Auto Show in 2022, and the exterior hasn't changed much. We now know a bit more about the upgrades, which include a steel roof instead of the standard panoramic glass roof and bullet-resistant side glass. Adding weight will likely affect the range, but we won't know by how much until this initial trial run is completed.
New York was one of the first states to adopt California's new Clean Cars Act, which is effectively an ICE ban coming into effect in 2035. The local government obviously wants large purchases to reflect its intentions, which is why the Mach-E makes so much sense.
"Public safety is more than just protecting our streets," said Caban. "It's protecting our environment, and this pilot program is in lockstep with Mayor [Eric] Adams' mandate to significantly reduce harmful emissions across the entire municipal fleet."
An earlier report by the New York Post revealed that New York City spent $108 million on fuel to keep its 30,000-strong fleet on the go. While two dozen EVs won't make much of a dent, that bill will drop significantly once electric fleet vehicles become more widely adopted.
The Mach-E GT is not the only electric police vehicle available, but the DCAS chose it over the Tesla Model 3 after an extensive research project.
As far as we can see, there's only one real problem. The NYPD publishes car crash statistics each month, going into great detail. These reports show that cyclists and pedestrians are at significant risk, especially when it comes to electric vehicles that crawl around making government-mandated noises.
We do have first-hand experience with the Ford Mustang Mach-E's system not being sufficient enough, however. We piloted a Mach-E from Hell's Kitchen to Dumbo last year and soon realized that NYC's residual noise was way louder than the car's exterior speakers. On more than one occasion, we had to politely tap the horn to let a cyclist know that the car was nearby, which startled them quite a bit.
Luckily, the NYPD's Mach-E cop cars will be equipped with loud sirens, so you'll hear them coming, except when the cops are trying to sneak up on unsuspecting donuts.