Will police departments adopt the new hybrid Police Interceptor Utility from Ford? Police officers, fleet managers, and emergency vehicle operator course (EVOC) instructors gathered in Dublin, Calif., on May 17 to test drive the 2020 vehicle for the first time as they set out to make their decisions.

“We were told to look at the vehicle, potentially purchase a few of them, and do some testing on them. So today is like the first phase of that process,” said Don Crye, Sacramento (Calif.) Police Department’s police sergeant in charge of the EVOC facility.

Ford held a national tour with the new vehicle, stopping in 11 major cities. Tony Gratson, Ford’s governmental sales manager, estimated that more than 1,400 people would be able to test drive the new utility vehicle, including police chiefs and sheriffs, uniformed officers and deputies, fleet managers, and procurement staff.

Attendees test drove three vehicles: a 3.3L V-6, a 3.3L hybrid, and a 3.0L EcoBoost model.

“I was really impressed with the hybrid today. I came out specifically to see that car and it performs at a high level and we're happy with the performance out of it,” said Peter Brevik, fleet mangagement technician with the City of Roseville, Calif. He attended with a police sergeant and lieutenant from the city’s PD.

Crye noted that the all-new vehicles seemed more rugged and suited for police work than their predecessor. And when it comes to speed and acceleration, Crye preferred the EcoBoost version.

He added that the department will take into consideration vehicle reliability and cost savings when making a decision.