Check out Ford’s new F-150 pickup for police

The next time you get pulled over, it might be by an officer in a Ford pickup truck instead of a traditional “police car”.

Ford Motor unveiled its new 2021 F-150 Police Responder on Tuesday ahead of spring state and local government submission cycles. Commercial vehicles, such as police vehicles, are at the heart of the company under the leadership of Ford CEO Jim Farley, who took over from Jim Hackett in October.

Demand for a police version of Ford’s F-150 has grown steadily since its introduction in 2017, according to a Ford Motor spokesperson. She declined to disclose specific sales of Ford’s pursuit van or line of police vehicles.

The shift from police cars to utility vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs represents a larger trend for automakers to move away from sedans. Ford abandoned its last police car, a Ford Taurus, several years ago. A police version of its Ford Explorer is now its best-selling model, according to the company.

The police van is based on the consumer version of the truck, but includes special options and settings to “meet heavy law enforcement use” at speeds up to 120 mph. The van also features a new ‘Police Idle Engine’, which allows officers to remove the keys from the ignition and safely exit the truck with the engine running at the touch of a button.

The new police van, like the consumer truck, offers remote or live connectivity, as well as data and telematics analytics to help with vehicle uptime, running costs and driving behavior. Customers can also choose to order a vehicle without a front console between the driver and front passenger, making it easier for agencies to install their own department-specific consoles.