Police vehicles come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Most people are familiar with the Dodge Chargers and Ford Explorer cop cars that patrol highways and cities across America, but depending on where you live, the police could be using anything from Smart Cars to Ford F-150s as department transportation, based on the type of service needed.
That spectrum of service is ever-expanding, and Ram is taking advantage. The American truck maker announced today it will begin offering what it describes as the first-ever “pursuit-rated” 3/4-ton, heavy-duty pickup truck enforcement vehicle, based on the 2500.
Pursuit-capable isn’t just a clever branding phrase. The enforcement vehicle industry relies on annual testing performed by the Michigan State Police (MSP), which includes acceleration, braking, and handling trials, to determine whether certain vehicles are capable of performing pursuit duties. Agencies around the country use these results to determine which vehicles they purchase for their fleets.
Up until now, the biggest pickups to have completed MSP’s tests were the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado—both smaller 1/2-ton trucks. Ram sells a police version of the 1500 called the SSV, but it hasn’t been tested by the MSP. The 2500 is the new king of the pursuit-capable fleet—so long as you measure that crown through physical size and not actual performance.
The Many MSP Tests Ram Needed To Complete
The Michigan State Police’s testing regimen is no joke. The testers want to relay exactly how each vehicle will perform in the real world when subject to high-speed chases through unexpected terrain at several speeds. That means tests not only for acceleration times, but also for braking endurance and handling prowess.
The acceleration portion of the test is pretty simple. MSP takes over the oval track at the Stellantis-owned Chelsea Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Michigan, and hooks up each test car with a Racelogic Vbox 3i GPS-based data box. Then, it tests each car in standing starts to 60 mph, 80 mph, and 100 mph. They also test how far each vehicle takes to hit 100 mph and 120 mph (if possible). Each car gets four runs, where the acceleration times are averaged for a final result. On the final run, the driver continues to accelerate until the manufacturer’s electronically limited top speed is reached. MSP says the top speed must be reached within a distance of 14 miles.
The Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV), with its 6.4-liter Hemi V8 making 405 horsepower and 429 pound-feet of torque, had no problem reaching its electronically limited top speed of 103 mph in that distance, doing the deed in just 0.45 miles. A lot of that had to do with its shorter gearing; the regular 2500 gets a 3.73 final axle ratio, while the ERV gets a 4.10 version for peppier acceleration.
It’s worth mentioning that the 2500 had the lowest top speed of any vehicle tested, beaten by both the smaller Chevrolet Silverado PPV (114 mph) and the Ford F-150 Police Responder (121 mph). The fastest car of the test was the Ford Explorer Interceptor, with a top speed of 148 mph.
The Ram 2500 was also the slowest truck to 60 mph, posting an average of 8.41 seconds. The Durango Pursuit trailed just behind at 8.26 seconds. The Mustang Mach-E GT was by far the quickest of the bunch, posting an average 0-60 time of 4.03 seconds. But the F-150 was pretty damn quick, too, with an average time of 5.68 seconds.
To test braking ability, MSP does 10 consecutive stops from 60 mph before giving each car a cooldown lap, then does 10 more stops from the same speed. Testers take the average deceleration rate to calculate the average distance needed to stop from 60 mph. Here’s the math behind that in case you’re interested:
The Ram was again the worst performer, scoring an average of 170.13 feet to stop from 60 mph to zero. The next closest car, the Silverado PPV, needed just 149.81 feet to perform the same stop. The F-150 wasn’t far behind, at 148.31 feet.
When it comes to testing handling and vehicle dynamics, MSP doesn’t take things easy. Each car is driven by four officers for eight timed laps each, for a total of 32 laps, around Grattan Raceway, a hilly road course in central Michigan with a good mix of high-speed corners, low-speed turns, and a couple of big braking zones. The average lap time score is calculated using the average of the five fastest laps overall.
According to the MSP’s evaluation form, this test is the “true test of the success or failure of the vehicle manufacturers to offer vehicles that provide the optimum balance between handling (suspension components), acceleration (usable HP), and braking characteristics.” The real test, though, is to ensure the cars can do 32 laps without any big mechanical failure.
Weighing in at 6,680 pounds—or 810 pounds heavier than the next heaviest car tested—it should come as no surprise that the Ram 2500 put up the slowest lap time average of 1:52.17. The next slowest vehicle, the Silverado PPV, put up an average time of 1:41.18. The quickest car was the Explorer Interceptor with the 3.0-liter EcoBoost engine and no hybrid tech, with an average time of 1:35.95. But the Ram came out of the test functioning just fine, which, if you know how hard on cars lapping a race track can be, is a victory all its own.
I Can See The Use Case For This Truck
By now you’re probably wondering: What’s the point of this truck? What can a Ram 2500 pursuit vehicle do that a Silverado PPV or an F-150 Police Responder can’t? Those trucks are objectively more capable when it comes to the act of high-speed pursuits, and can tow thousands upon thousands of pounds. But I can see a lot of real-world uses for a 2500-level vehicle that’s also rated for pursuit.
Obviously, pursuit won’t be the ERV’s main function. According to Ram, agencies were asking for a truck that could do a bunch of truck stuff and also happen to be pursuit-rated. Per its press release:
Responding to agency requests for a pursuit-capable emergency‑response package suited to rural, mountainous and mixed‑terrain regions, Ram Engineering quickly defined the parameters for an Emergency Response Vehicle based on the Ram 2500. The goal was to combine law‑enforcement capability with the flexibility required by fire, rescue and emergency response agencies, all while maintaining Ram heavy-duty trucks’ hallmark capability.
Both the F-150 and the Silverado could handle off-roading just fine, but for rural departments with lower budgets and few vehicles to spare, it makes sense that they’d want a sort of “catch-all” vehicle that could perform a wide range of duties that include hauling stuff or towing loads that normal 1/2-ton trucks can’t. Because this truck passed MSP’s tests, it can now also be used to chase down the occasional baddie on a rough, dirt back road—no need to call in a different car to chase instead. At the same time, it could pull disabled vehicles off the road, move downed trees, or haul a huge generator into a town without power.
Whether the Ram 2500 ERV will spawn a line of heavy-duty pickups from other manufacturers isn’t clear right now. As far as Ram knows, it’s the only automaker to send a 3/4-ton pickup to MSP’s trials and get a pursuit rating from the department. If anything, I’d love to see what pursuit-ready Silverado 2500 HD and Ford Super Duty look like.
Top graphic image: Ram
Nothing new here, other than the MSP certification. I worked for our state wildlife agency and our game wardens (who are Class 1 peace officers just like Highway Patrol) all drove HD 3/4 ton crew cab pickups. If you’re pulling over a DUI today and hauling an elk carcass back across 50 miles of mountains and desert tomorrow it comes in handy. In a lot of small towns they might be the only LE presence other than the occasional county sheriff’s deputy who stops by.
Hell yeah!
My local police department has had several tahoes and dodge rams now for probably at least ten years. I’m in MS though.
So if a cop in a pickup truck pulls me over, is it bribery if I offer them pizza and beer to help me move that weekend?
Good God. As a kid, local cops ran Diplomats/Furys and Celebrities. Highway Patrol ran Crown Vics and Impallas.
One of my pet peeves, and I’m full of many peeves, is that I despise high speed chases. I think they are dangerous and stupid to do for many reasons. Too many stupid people out on the roads who can freak out and cause a major wreck because you decided to push another idiot to go to 3 digit speeds. Or in the very least, only do them for major crimes like murder. Call the perp ahead to other PDs. I cannot imagine seeing this thing going 100mph down a highway. You gotta imagine that rear end could get pretty dicy catching a bump on the road or pot hole at those speeds.
You can’t outrun the Motorolla was true 40 yr’s ago.
Yeah, this totally won’t get abused and lead to serious injury.
Police really need 3/4 ton trucks. That way they can absentmindedly leave even more firearms and law enforcement equipment loose in the bed to be lost in parking lots and on the expressway.
0-60 in 8.41 seconds? Not slow. In fact quicker than the last P71 Crown Victoria sedans. Those were 0-60 mph in 8.87 to 9.01 seconds, depending on the rear-axle ratio (3.55 or 3.27)
Only if their tow mirrors are out.
Makes sense, the average RAM owner’s daily commute involves at least three PIT maneuvers.
I’ve always been a bit surprised that minivans aren’t used as cop vehicles. I mean, I’m not suggesting to replace all cop vehicles with minivans, but some of them. Easy ingress/egress for officers, with loads of space for people wearing vests and utility belts. Easy ingress/egress for whoever you want to throw in the back. Seems easy to divide the front/rear with a wall. Loads of space for storing stuff like a medical kit, and whatever other equipment they may need.
It’s also a good litmus test of the officer.
If they turn down a Toyota Sienna because they can’t “run down the perp” then they should probably be given a brand new Trek for a while to burn off that energy.
Just look to England and the EU.
Italian Caribinieri using Fiat Pandas and various scooters in Rome.
They need mobility. You can always call in a Paddy Wagon.
I could see these being used for search-and-rescue duties in remote areas, as fire chief vehicles and compact fire trucks, as park ranger vehicles, something for heavy loads and upfits, pre-wired for all the emergency response equipment you can ask for. More likely to be wearing red or green than black and white, IMO. City and town police departments will likely forgo the cost (purchase and running) of a 3/4-ton truck for patrol duties. Highway patrol definitely not.
All very impressive, but can it do donuts?
All they can eat.
My encounters with non-traditional police vehicles:
It’s 9pm and I’m stuck at a light for several minutes that isn’t changing and seems to be broken. I ask my passenger to look around for cops. He glances right and sees an F150 and says all clear. I drive through the intersection and immediately get lit up by a game warden. He immediately let me go because the hell was a game warden going to do for a traffic violation.
Driving toward an electronic toll lane and some jagoff in a Camry tries to cut me off, but I don’t let him in front of me. Immediately hits lights and then pulls up next to me with the window down and yelling at me. I flick him off and keep driving because there is no way in hell an undercover Camry has authority to pull me over.
Maybe the most ignorant thing I’ve ever done in my life was realizing a cop I could see ahead of me on the highway was turning his lights on to get ready pull me over (I was speeding), making a b-line for the exit ramp that was right before him, parking behind a gas station for 10 minutes, getting back on the highway, and continuing on.
The statute of limitations for speeding has long since passed since this happened so don’t @ me, bootlickers
Meh, I ditched a cop on a Maine back road when I was in college 35 years ago. No way a late ’80s Caprice was keeping up with a Jetta GLI on a windy back road. And in far eastern Maine, his backup was probably an hour away. Not proud of it at all, and I was scared shitless of a Statie turning up at my dorm room door for a week after.
In my state, game wardens (we call them DEC officers) are state troopers with additional powers. While they don’t spend much time enforcing traffic laws, they are about the last ones you want to piss off. That old CB radio slang of state troopers being “full grown bears” while county sheriffs or town cops being “bears,” well, the DEC officers would be the fullest of full grown bears.
That being said, my loan interaction with them legally speaking was when I was trying out the roof lights on my new Xterra Pro4X back a dozen or so years ago. “You spot lightin’ deer!?!” Uhhh, no? Just trying out the roof lights that came on this thing. “It came this way from factory?” Yeah… “What are you going to use it for?”
Well, I never used them again. But boy, did I think they were cool.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding something, but it seems “pursuit rated” simply means the vehicle can drive around a track without breaking and various performance parameters have been measured. It doesn’t seem like these vehicles have to meet any significant safety or performance standards.
I’m not taking a position on whether or not is appropriate to engage in a pursuit with a 3/4 ton pickup, but this testing seems kind of pointless. Am I missing something?
With braking and handling that poor, this shouldn’t be pursuing anything but side-by-sides and stolen tractors across cornfields.
Wouldn’t be very satisfying as a highway chase vehicle anyway, that’s pretty slow for a big V8.
“That thing got a Hemi?”
“Well, it’s struggling to chase down a four cylinder Camry, so I guess so”
Add those Ram ready highway patrol bumpers on the front, and you’ve got a Ram Rammer ready for action.
A RAM chasing another RAM DUI… insert inception movie meme
Yo dawg, we heard you like Rams, so now you can ram Rams while in your Ram!
Trucks drive more and more like cars now and every time I turn around there is another police agency running a bunch of pickups so I guess it makes sense. But I don’t want it to.
I can go around corners in my gen 4 ram Cummins fine better then modern Subarus so I guess there is that too. And the gen 5 is even more car like.
I’m going to blame this whole thing on the Taurus. They hated them. Once you got the cage in there was no room in the back seat if you had to take someone to jail they had to be laying on their side. That was 15 years ago. Long enough for someone who had to do that to be in a decision making capacity for fleet buying. The bigger the better is probably the only thing on their mind.
I heard the same thing, those Taurii were despised. Our local police held onto the crown vics as long as they could, then rushed in the explorers. The Taurus was demoted to rookies and desk errands
It’s gotten to the point they can’t hide the crown vics anymore so they have to send them to auction. Alot of bigger police agencies had a Taurus fleet before for detectives and desk duty. Sometime they shared them with the county for socal workers or inspectors. So there was kind of a sigma already. Before any of the short comings.
My uncle was in charge of evaluating vehicles with the Taurus came in for a fairly large police department. He told them buy the Chevy. Some other evaluators said the charger no one wanted the ford. But they bought the Taurus because they had a deal with the sort of home town dealer that only did Ford and Lincoln at that time.
He bought a Chevy dealer off someone not long after that because he didn’t think Ford would put out a winner again. And knew they couldn’t buy any more Taurus without major repercussions. He could probably get his hands on a stellantis dealer cheap now. He just might to hedge his bets.
I totally think 99% of the decision making for police vehicle purchases are probably way too heavily based on what looks “cool” more than what would actually work best, but the hate for the Taurus is actually justified. I had one as a company car, what a horrible exercise in packaging. I can’t imagine fitting into one while wearing a vest, utility belt, gun, etc while also having all the police radio/lights/laptop crap in there and I’m smaller than the average male. The external dimensions were huge, the internal dimensions were tiny and cramped.
Coming soon to truTV: RAM LAW
This city didn’t need RAM LAW, but they are getting it anyway.
.…putting cops behind the wheel of 7,000 pound death missile? What could possibly go wrong? They’re such a normal, well adjusted group of people and there definitely aren’t ghastly statistics about how much havoc they already wreak with useless car chases! Whatever, V8 go brrrrrrrrr and everyone deserves to know how high my T levels are I am as I RAM into a playground chasing a Civic that with expired tags that made me fear for my life!
A ram 2500 will drive over a car. I’ve seen it. This will absolutely happen when you let today’s police have them. It’s no longer safe to be in the back seat of a car.
But flags eagles and country music……
So the highest top speed of any police vehicle tested has been 148mph,
Noted.
Also I think it’s safe to say the 2500’s frame is a lot beefier than the F-150’s frame.
Why?
HD 3/4 Ton pickup VS 1/2 Ton Pickup
Don’t be like Rickon Stark, ZIGZAG!