Ferguson Township Police Add Centre Region’s First Fully Electric Patrol Cruiser

Ferguson Township Police Department has added what the township says is the first fully electric patrol vehicle in the Centre Region to its fleet.

The department is now using a Chevrolet Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle, a model designed specifically for law enforcement rather than a standard civilian electric vehicle. The vehicle is intended to “reduce carbon emissions and lower long-term operating and maintenance costs,” according to the township.

The cruiser has a heavy-duty suspension, Brembo front brakes and police-specific front seats designed to accommodate an officer’s duty belt and other equipment. Chevrolet describes the Blazer EV PPV as its first purpose-built, pursuit-rated all-electric police vehicle. 

Ferguson Township said the vehicle has an EPA-estimated range of more than 280 miles on a full charge. The department estimates its officers typically drive between 60 and 95 miles during a patrol shift, allowing the cruiser to cover a normal shift on one charge. 

The vehicle also includes a protected-idle feature designed for police operations. Officers can leave the cruiser locked and powered on while away from it, keeping radios, computers and other emergency equipment running without leaving a traditional gasoline engine idling. 

Chevrolet’s 2026 specifications list the vehicle’s automatic protected-idle capability as providing 20 to 50 hours of operation with emergency equipment running on a full charge. 

The switch to an electric patrol vehicle also fits into Ferguson Township’s broader efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its municipal fleet. Township climate-action recommendations call for expanding electric vehicle fleets and charging infrastructure and reducing the footprint of municipal vehicles. 

For the police department, the change also means fewer routine maintenance needs associated with gasoline-powered vehicles. The township said the electric cruiser eliminates expenses such as oil changes and spark plug replacements and reduces the need for complex transmission maintenance over the vehicle’s lifespan. 

The Blazer EV PPV was developed with law enforcement-specific electrical demands in mind. Chevrolet’s specifications include police-rated suspension, police performance calibrations and the ability to support up to 100 amps of continuous emergency equipment loads. 

Residents who see the new cruiser on patrol can expect it to perform the same day-to-day law enforcement duties as the department’s other patrol vehicles, with charging replacing gasoline as its primary source of energy. 

The Ferguson Township Police Department can be reached at 1-800-479-0050 for non-emergency calls.