FCA US has secured orders to deliver 580 Dodge Charger Pursuit police sedans to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The sedans will replace aging sedans and utility vehicles in CHP's fleet.
FCA will deliver the vehicles in the next two years of time, with majority of them being supplied next year.
Public and competitive bidding process was conducted by the California Highway Patrol whose criteria was to choose a vehicle based on price, performance and payload capacity.
The Dodge Charger Pursuit police sedans were found to comply with enforcement vehicle specifications for the CHP.
Majority of the order placed by the California Highway Patrol will include Charger Pursuit sedans powered by 3.6 liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivering 292hp and 260 lb/ft of torque. It delivers an estimated mileage of 26miles per gallon on highways.
CHP’s order also includes a small number of Charger Pursuit 5.7liter HEMI V-8 models with fuel saver technology to be used by training instructors at CHP’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Course in Sacramento.
The 5.7 liter V-8 model will deliver about 370hp, with best in class acceleration performance, as claimed by FCA.
FCA US sales operations, fleet and small business sales vice president Jeff Kommor said: “Our Charger Pursuit police sedans meet CHP’s stringent payload requirements, and in particular, will accommodate the agency’s radio systems.
“The Charger Pursuit also meets CHP’s demand for ongoing fuel-efficiency and its desire to be a leader in fiscal responsibility in California.”
Under the CHP order, some Charger Pursuit sedans will be outfitted with Uconnect’s 12.1 inch touchscreen that enables segment-exclusive integration of law enforcement computer systems.
FCA US government sales and operations head Bick Pratt said: “The CHP is ordering our Charger Pursuit vehicle to reintroduce the sedan into their patrol vehicle fleet.
“That’s important to us because it reflects a shift back to sedans by a progressive agency like the CHP. It is also important because other agencies throughout California rely on the CHP’s vast resources and knowledge to test, evaluate and determine what police vehicle meets the needs of the CHP, and in many cases meets their local needs as well.”
Image: FCA receives order from California Highway Patrol to supply Dodge Charger Pursuit police sedans. Photo: Courtesy of FCA US LLC.
