With the debut this week of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shook up the law enforcement sector with a first-of-its-kind electric vehicle (EV).
The vehicle, fitted to tackle the particular challenges of law enforcement, also made DHS the first federal agency to deploy an EV for these purposes. The Mustang Mach-E had to be outfitted with lights and sirens to align with Federal Protective Service standards. High-threshold testing is ongoing to guarantee it can handle the high speeds, on- and off-road maneuverability, durability, and more that enforcement missions require.
“DHS is leading the charge among federal agencies to transition its fleet vehicles from internal combustion engines to zero-emission electric vehicles,” Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien said. “As the Nation’s third largest federal agency and largest law enforcement agency, DHS has an inventory of more than 50,000 vehicles, with law enforcement vehicles making up 60 percent of its fleet. DHS is proud to be the first Federal agency to upfit a battery electric vehicle for law enforcement use. As we ramp up EV adoption, we are excited to see how this and other EVs perform for our mission.”
Cybersecurity assessments of the Mustang are underway to ascertain any potential threats or exploitable risks EVs could theoretically bring to the federal fleet. However, vehicular integration like this is part of the agency’s larger Climate Action Plan, approved last year, to align it with the Biden administration’s larger climate goals.