Ford Mach E, Electric vehicle Saves Money - Somehow/ ELECTRIC POLICE VEHICLES HELP EXPLODE COSTS

Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.

TOPSFIELD, Mass. — Topsfield police has taken a step into the future and added an electric vehicle to its cruiser fleet.

“When we pull them over, they ask what we are driving,” said Topsfield police Capt. Dan Bell. It’s a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric cruiser.

“People want to come to the police station and check it out,” he said.

Last year, the town and the department started to think about its carbon footprint when it came to its combustible fleet of Ford Explorers and determined electric vehicles can last longer and save money in the long run.

“The life expectancy is eight years, opposed to five years for our Ford Explorers and Interceptor vehicles. Over time, there will be significant savings,” said Chief Neal Hovey.

The Mustang can patrol 220 miles on a full charge – a distance that covers a few shifts in Topsfield.

The Mustangs cost about $12,000 more than the traditional Explorers, but Bell said he has already seen how the EVs can save the department money.

“There’s not much maintenance on them. Don't have to change the oil or anything like that. You go through tires and brakes. Other than that, there's not much to it. No antifreeze, coolant. Longevity-wise, it's going to be something that will last longer than the combustible engine,” Bell said.

The town plans to order more EV cruisers.

There is no turning back, multiple sirens and too many lights contribute to driver confusion on the admittedly congested public roads (maybe funding for a Ukraine war can be used to improve US infrastructure), public safety is pissing on a forest fire with their sole shot solution of more lights and sirens. City residents will tell you the siren noise is constant, technology can and should be used to reduce siren noise and agencies of all types should reduce the quantity, the flash frequency and overall intensity of their lighting packages as they cause confusion are overwhelming, produce no discernable message and are blinding especially when multiple emergency vehicles are visible simultaneously. Immediate medical care, like on aircraft and boats, needs to be located at the scene - ie, AED's and similar. Even that seconds do count, an emergency driver in an accident helps no one, so drive safely versus driving "fast".