UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — It looks like the 1-9 can now go 0-60 in 4.03 seconds.
Last week, Patch learned that the 19th Precinct had unveiled two new all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E GT police cars parked outside the precinct house on East 67th Street.
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The cars are part of the city’s efforts to turn its massive fleet of city-owned cars to “greener” pastures.
In late 2021, the New York City Department of Administrative Services announced that it had purchased 184 electric Mustangs at a cost of $11.5 million. Now, the department tells Patch the order has been increased to 347 of the quiet, fast patrol cars, for a total purchase of $21.1 million.
“There was a time in the not-so-distant past when the idea of an all-electric patrol car seemed like little more than a hope for the future, but we’re proud to share that the future is now,” DCAS New York Commissioner. Dawn M. Pinnock said in a statement to Patch. “With the addition of nearly 200 Mach E vehicles for law enforcement agencies, we are innovating, reimagining and strengthening our fleet in the greenest way possible.”
So far, the NYPD has received 149 of the cars so far at an average cost of $64,895, according to DCAS, and 113 charging ports, including 31 fast chargers, have been installed for the NYPD.
But the car, which some local news websites described as “Badass,” is not without its critics.
On Twitter, most users reacted positively to one Precinct 19 announcementbut some users complained that the cars were a waste of money or were upset about the “green” fleet.
The car also took hits from the Michigan State Police, who tested the car just days before NYC announced its first purchase order in 2021.
Although tests found the 480-horsepower Mustang excels in acceleration, braking and maintenance costs, officers ranked the car at the bottom of the 11-vehicle list for issues such as lap, comfort, steering wheel and other controls.
It also ranked last for viewability, according to The Drive.
This combination of poor visibility and extremely fast speeds comes at a time when NYPD drivers have recently been involved in several high-profile car crashes that injured New Yorkers.
In February, a 52-year-old Queens woman was killed by an NYPD driver on her way to an emergency call.
Last October, an out-of-control NYPD driver injured 10 people when his patrol car jumped a corner in the Bronx, including two children and a 65-year-old man.
And nearly a year ago, officers driving an NYPD van on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway struck and killed Roland Anthony Smith, dragging his body 35 feet before stopping. Recently released body camera footage has Smith’s family wondering if officers were watching a football game on a phone as they sped down the road through two red lights with their emergency lights on.
Patch asked the NYPD if the new cars require additional driver training, but did not receive a response.
