The Michigan State Police Vehicle Test Team has released preliminary results for the 2024 Model Year Police Vehicle Evaluation Program. The testing revealed an all-encompassing improvement for the returning models.
Perhaps the most anticipated vehicle put to the test was the Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV AWD, the nation’s first purpose-built pursuit-rated electric vehicle. The vehicle was impressive in the acceleration and speed testing. More on that later.
The Blazer was the only vehicle new to the lineup this year. The two Chevrolet Silverado PPV models — the Z7X 4WD and Z71 4WD — are no longer the new guys in town.
It’s important to note that the Blazer is not the first EV to be tested; the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD earned that distinction when it was first tested with the MY2022 lineup. However, the Mach-E is not pursuit-rated.
Also of note was that no police sedans were tested. The Charger, which was the only sedan tested last year, has been discontinued. Could this be the end of the line for pursuit-rated sedans?
The 2024MY vehicles tested include:
- Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3L RWD.
- Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3L AWD.
- Chevrolet Silverado Z7X 4WD.
- Chevrolet Silverado Z71 4WD.
- Chevrolet Blazer EV AWD.
- Dodge Durango 5.7L AWD.
- Dodge Durango 3.6L AWD.
- Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L EcoBoost AWD.
- Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid AWD.
- Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.3L AWD.
- Ford F-150 Police Responder 3.5L EcoBoost.
- Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD.
Because these are preliminary results, some variations in the final results may vary. We will update this article if needed once the final results are released.
Acceleration and the Need for Speed
While top speed is always exciting to test, it’s the acceleration that most accurately reflects law enforcement officers’ driving scenarios. It’s not often (or at all, really) that officers reach speeds of 148 mph, which the Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L Ecoboost topped the charts at; it also achieved 0-60 in 5.81 seconds. These numbers are no surprise. This engine delivers 400 hp and 415 lb.-ft. of torque, among the most powerful in the lineup.
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Behind that were the other PIUs — the 3.3L Hybrid AWD and the 3.3L AWD — at 136 mph each, identical to its 2023MY top speed. The Hybrid AWD hit 60 mph in 6.99 seconds, while the 3.3L AWD was the slowest of the PIUs to reach it, taking 7.64 seconds. Still, both the Hybrid AWD and 3.3L AWD improved over the previous model year.
The Ford F-150 Police Responder 3.5L EcoBoost reached 120 mph and reached 60 mph in 5.69 seconds.
The Dodge Durango 5.7L AWD and 3.6L AWD reached 130 mph and 125 mph, respectively. The 5.7L AWD topped 60 mph in 6.67 seconds, but the 3.6L took the longest out of the lineup at 8.25 seconds.
The Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3L RWD hit its top speed at 130mph, and 5.3L 4WD topped out at 124 mph. The Tahoes were among the slowest to reach 60 mph at 7.69 mph for the 5.3L RWD and 7.94 seconds for the 5.3L 4WD.
Ranking at the bottom in top speed were the Chevrolet Silverado Z7X 4WD and Z71 4WD models, each with a top speed of 112 mph.
In acceleration testing, the two EVs — the Chevrolet Blazer EV AWD and the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD — topped the charts with the Mach-E coming in on top.
The Mach-E AWD topped the acceleration testing for the third year in a row, hitting 60 mph in 4.07 seconds and topping out at 124mph.
The Blazer EV AWD followed closely behind, reaching 60 mph in 5.17 seconds and hitting a top speed of 130 mph.
MSP’s testing objective for acceleration and top speed was to determine the ability of each test vehicle to accelerate from a standing start to 60 mph, 80 mph, 100 mph, and determine the distance to reach 100 mph and 120 mph.
Brake Testing, Full Stop
Stopping power is important for officers, who could be forced to stop during a pursuit or other incident at just a second’s notice.
Ford’s models proved to have the best stopping power, achieving the lowest projected stopping distances.
The PIU 3.0L Ecoboost continued its winning streak, at a 129.4 ft projected stopping distance. At just 0.2 ft longer was the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD.
The PIU Hybrid AWD stopped at 131.7 ft, while the PIU 3.3L AWD stopped at 131.1 ft.
Ford wasn’t on top across the board, though. Taking the longest distance to come to a stop was the F-150 Police Responder 3.5L EcoBoost at 159.6 ft. However, it’s an improvement compared to the 2023MY’s 162.2 ft.
The Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3L RWD averaged out at 130.4 ft to come to a full stop, while the Tahoe 5.3L 4WD stopped at 131 ft. The Silverado offerings — the Z7X 4WD and Z71 4WD — stopped at 144.2 ft and 144.9 ft, respectively.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV AWD wasn’t the best at braking, but it wasn’t the worst. The Blazer came to a stop at 135.2 ft.
The Dodge Durango 5.7L AWD and 3.6L AWD stopped at 136.1 ft and 137.3 ft, respectively.
MSP’s testing objective for brake testing was to determine the deceleration rate attained by each test vehicle on twenty 60-0 mph full anti-lock brake stops.
Vehicle Dynamics Testing
How do the vehicles themselves drive? That’s what the team tested in the vehicle dynamics testing. MSP’s testing objective was to determine each vehicle’s high-speed pursuit or emergency response handling characteristics and performance in comparison to the other vehicles in the test group. The course used has hills, curves, and corners, which simulate various driving environments.
The Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.0L Ecoboost once again came out on top, with the fastest average lap speed of 95.1 seconds.
Behind it were the Dodge Durango 5.7L AWD and Ford Police Interceptor Utility 3.3L AWD, both coming in at 98.1 seconds.
Taking the lowest spot on the rankings was the Chevrolet Silverado Z7X 4WD, clocking 101.5 seconds. Its Z71 4WD counterpart took 100.1 seconds to reach the finish line. The only other vehicle to come in at over 100 seconds was the Dodge Durango 3.6L AWD at 100.7 seconds.
The Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3L RWD and 5.3L AWD were neck-and-neck at 98.5 seconds and 98.8 seconds, respectively.
The Ford Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid AWD finished in 98.6 seconds, and the Ford F-150 Police Responder 3.5L EcoBoost was barely behind it at 98.9 seconds.
When testing the EV models, the MSP Precision Driving Unit and all three manufacturers agreed that a charge of approximately 40 minutes between runs would showcase the vehicles’ capabilities in a best-case scenario.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV AWD clocked 99.4 seconds, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD registered 99.7 seconds.
The Bottom Line
Overall, Ford’s lineup of vehicles had a winning streak across all four categories.
But the two EVs are something to watch. The Ford Mustang Mach-E held strong in acceleration. And for a rookie, the Chevrolet Blazer EV AWD faired pretty well.
A Brief History of MSP’s Vehicle Testing
Ever wonder how MSP’s testing got its start? It began testing patrol cars for its own agency in the 1950s. At that time, MSP requested quotes from manufacturers on their different vehicles. Only the vehicle with the lowest quote was tested to see if it met the purchasing requirements.
Years later, as the quotes began to differentiate in only a few dollars, MSP decided to test all vehicles to select the one most suited for its agency.
Now, the manufacturers provide upcoming model year vehicles to both MSP and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to be tested for suitability in their respective operations. Historically, successful results at both test sites have validated the manufacturers’ efforts in building a car that can handle the stress associated with police pursuits.
It’s important to note that neither MSP nor the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has the authority or credentials to award the term “pursuit-rated” to any vehicle. The term comes straight from manufacturers; the two agencies just validate the term.
