Cops Drive Flex-Fueled Ford Crown Victoria on E85

The venerable Ford Crown Victoria is the most popular patrol vehicle for law enforcement agencies around the country. Indeed, Ford is the largest producer and seller of police vehicles with over 80 percent market share. That's why any news involving the "greening" of such vehicles is so important.

What's up? Nothing less than the 2008 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) now being able to chase down drivers on alcohol while also running on the stuff. Well, maybe not quite the same stuff, but alcohol all the same. The 4.6-liter V-8 Crown Vic will be offered as a flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) starting this model year, allowing it to operate on E85 ethanol or gasoline. Another popular vehicle designed for police duty, the Chevrolet Police Tahoe, is also an FFV.

Ford has achieved 50-state certification for all of the Ford and Mercury 2008 flexible-fuel passenger car models, which means they meet federal and California emission standards across the board. That's no easy thing since evaporative emissions standards in California create some unique challenges for FFVs. To differentiate its flexible-fuel vehicles from standard gasoline counterparts, Ford will equip its E-85 capable vehicles with yellow gasoline filler caps.

General Motors designed the 2007 Chevrolet Police Tahoe from scratch as a law enforcement vehicle, a first for an SUV-based police vehicle. The new Tahoe is powered by a more powerful and more efficient 5.3-liter V-8 engine. Better fuel economy results partly from Active Fuel Management. Formerly known as Displacement-on-Demand, it deactivates half of the cylinders under light-load for increased fuel efficiency.

Many municipalities and states around the country have mandates requiring the use of alternative fuel vehicles in their government fleets, including police vehicles. Government agencies that include FFVs on their annual Department of Energy plan can also receive credits toward EPACT (Energy Policy Act) mandates. Others are purchasing alternative fuel vehicles to show they are environmentally responsible. Some police fleets, mainly in corn-producing states where E85 is substantially cheaper than unleaded gasoline, may see lower fuel cost even when E85's lower fuel economy is considered.