It was rumored that the VPD would be upgrading their fleet with the likes of Dodge Chargers, and now it’s official.
When Ford discontinued the Crown Victoria, the VPD had to look for something new. As well, the graphics presently on the VPD cars are not compatible with other vehicles, so a new design was also required. The winning vehicle was the Dodge Charger, with the highly efficient 3.6-litre engine. It will also feature new safety features, such as cutting-edge emergency lighting and a “rumbler” siren, which projects a deep baritone burst to further gain attention at those critical moments.
The new Dodge fleet will be equipped with an idle-management program to reduce engine idle time while continuing to power the electronics and emergency equipment when the vehicle is on-scene at an emergency.
Replacing 176 full-size Ford Crown Victorias with the more efficient Dodge Charger will reduce fuel consumption by approximately 25%. It will also reduce patrol fleet emissions by approximately 660 tonnes (32% reduction) per year when the fleet replacement is completed in 2017.
VPD Fleet at a Glance
- The Vancouver Police patrol fleet is composed of 176 vehicles, which are predominantly Ford Crown Victoria Interceptors, both marked and unmarked
- The average age of the patrol fleet is 5.5 years
- The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors were discontinued by Ford in April
- 61 patrol vehicles are due for replacement by end of 2013
- Replacement was delayed to take advantage of new, more environmentally friendly, purpose-built technologies
- Entire patrol fleet of 176 due for replacement by 2017
Also new to the streets is the VPD’s replacement prisoners transports and the paramedics ambulance van. Both are Mercedes.
Photo Credit: bcfiretrucks
For more information, please visit: www.vpd.ca