LANSING, Mich. (Michigan State Police) – Michigan State Police (MSP) are shifting gears and plugging into the future with their first battery-electric patrol car, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Deployed in Lansing to patrol state-owned and leased properties, the initiative promises “real time” research into EV performance on the job.

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But will this shiny new tech ride keep up with the demands of law enforcement or is it more about appearances than practicality?

Testing the waters: EV patrol car starts small in low-demand environment.

MSP Director Col. James F. Grady II’s statement about the pilot program offers little enthusiasm for the EV concept overall, noting that it will be tested in a low-use area where the vehicle won’t face long drives or heavy demands. In the press release about the new EV patrol car, Grady says, “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.”

While the EV’s limited range and 40-minute downtime for charging won’t be a dealbreaker in a contained Lansing patrol zone, the elephant in the room remains whether such vehicles can stand up to statewide trooper demands. A charging pause may not matter for city property patrol, but how about during a statewide manhunt or during severe weather?

Still, Director Grady says it’s an “exciting opportunity for us to research, in real time, how a battery electric vehicle performs on patrol.”

MSP puts Mach-E to the test: Is the EV up to the challenge?

Lt. Nicholas Darlington, commander of the Precision Driving Unit is looking at the pilot program as a possible stepping stone to acquiring more EVs in the future saying, “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.”

However, MSP Precision Driving Unit, celebrated for its annual vehicle evaluations, will be studying the Mach-E’s performance in “lower speed” city environments with readily available chargers. That’s good news since chasing suspects through the urban jungle might demand a little more than the Mach-E’s battery can handle on a full sprint – and an extended trip through the backroads of Michigan could lead to range anxiety faster than you can say “battery depleted.”

Critics point to the shortcomings of EVs.

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Perhaps the MSP and other law enforcement agencies are not taking into consideration all of the drawbacks of using such a vehicle in a law enforcement environment. Critics point out numerous issues with using EVs in a police force including range anxiety, charging time, charging network availability, grid dependency, battery depletion, extreme weather issues, costs, specialized maintenance, battery longevity, heavy wear and tear, and the possibility of not being able to recharge an EV if there is a disaster situation and electricity is unavailable – or the possibility of chargers not being available due to flooding, fire or other issues.

The Scholars Strategy Network points to the many unintended consequences in electrifying police fleets which includes many of the issues described above. The author, Zia Muhammad, a Ph.D. scholar at the Department of Computer Science at North Dakota State University, highlights the problems with using EVs in extreme weather conditions and having to rely on the electric grid saying, “EVs rely on the power grid for charging, making them entirely vulnerable to power outages or failures…During wildfires or other natural disasters, the need for quick and reliable response times makes charging electric vehicles difficult, which could reduce their effectiveness in emergencies.”

Muhammad also points out, “EVs are vulnerable to a wide range of cyber threats, such as harmful software, privacy breaches, and third-party application vulnerabilities, which can compromise the safety and security of EVs.”

Chasing a bad guy – and running out of juice.

A 2019 incident involving a Tesla police vehicle running out of battery power during a high-speed chase in California highlights the challenges of integrating electric vehicles (EVs) into law enforcement fleets. This underscores the potential logistical and operational hurdles faced by police departments when relying on EVs for critical, high-stakes situations. While some say that EVs offer environmental benefits and cost savings, the need for reliable, extended range and rapid refueling options becomes paramount in emergency scenarios.

Sustainability or virtue signaling?

The Mustang Mach-E is a flashy addition to the MSP force, but its practicality and longevity for law enforcement duties remain unproven to most. With performance concerns like battery drain from sirens, lights, and radios – and the ever-persistent reality of Michigan winters – it’s worth asking if this experiment is more about optics than outcomes. MSP’s new toy might be a sleek nod to environmental advocates including Grady’s boss, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, but is it truly ready to chase crime?

The sheer number of unresolved issues in using EVs for law enforcement highlights the necessity for MSP, at some point, to conduct a thorough “real-world” evaluation of the Mach-E or any other EV patrol car that they might be considering. Questions surrounding range limitations, charging infrastructure, and performance under extreme weather or high-stress scenarios cannot remain theoretical before a future decision is made on whether to switch over some or most of the MSP fleet to EVs.

Ultimately, the decision on what patrol cars will be used should be based on whether they can handle the unpredictable and demanding nature of police work across Michigan. As critics suggest, the stakes for law enforcement and the citizens who are rely them, are too high to do otherwise.