LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State Police welcome the first battery-powered electric vehicle to their fleet beginning Monday.
The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is on patrol starting today and is assigned to MSP’s State Security Operations Section to be used by state properties security officers, who are armed, uniformed troopers who specialize in general law enforcement and security services at state-owned and leased facilities in the Lansing area.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle performs on patrol,” said MSP director Col. James F. Grady II. “Our state properties security officers patrol a substantially smaller number of miles per day than our troopers and motor carrier officers, within city limits and at lower speeds, coupled with the availability of charging infrastructure in downtown Lansing, making this the ideal environment to test the capabilities of a police-package battery electric vehicle.”
MSP’s Precision Driving Unit utilizes its annual Police Vehicle Evaluation, where it tests and evaluates police vehicles from various manufacturers and includes alternative fuel vehicles. The data is compiled and published for use by police fleet managers and purchasing agents nationwide.
“We began testing battery electric vehicles in 2022, but up until now hybrids were the only alternative fuel vehicle in our fleet,” said Precision Driving Unit commander Lt. Nicholas Darlington. “Adding this battery electric vehicle to our patrol fleet will allow us to study the vehicle’s performance long-term to determine if there is a potential for cost savings and broader applicability within our fleet.”
