For a long time, Dodge dominated police car acceleration, especially if you discount the turbocharged V6 Ford Explorers. Dodge is still planning police-edition Chargers which should leave those Explorers in the dust, but many departments are moving away from sedans and into crossovers and SUVs. Chevrolet’s new Blazer EV, shown at the 2024 New York Auto Show, may be stiff competition in that arena.
The Blazer appears to be a serious police package. It’s based on the Blazer SS, which isn’t even out yet, and boasts 498 horsepower (far above any police Hemi), a top speed of around 130 mph before lights are added, fast charge capability, and big Brembo brakes in addition to regenerative braking. 0-60 comes in a claimed 5.2 seconds; range is around 273 miles. Many state troopers spend a good deal of time idling before making hard acceleration, which is tough on a car; the Blazer is likely to do well under these conditions, spending relatively little power keeping the air conditioning or heat on and needing no real warmup time for sprints.
The Blazer is not just a runner, it has serious aftermarket equipment compatibility—two 20-amp relays and a 50-amp relay in the front console, and a 30, 40, and 100 amp relay in the cargo area, to start (the 50 and 100 amp relays include leads and grounds). It has a dedicated electrical center, with harnesses, in the front and cargo areas; a 400-to-12V power module reducer for emergency equipment; and of course police-rated suspension and calibrations with steel underbody skid plates. The Ultium batteries can be repaired after a crash—something Stellantis so far has been unable to promise.
Hard plastic seat backs protect the police up front, while a molded plastic rear seat prevents suspects from shoving anything between the cushions. It even has a washer for the rear camera mirror.
As for the standard Blazer EV, it is a comfortable EV with the fashionable big center screen; Google Maps doesn‘t make good use of the extra space, keeping street names tiny, but otherwise it’s quite visible for both driver and passenger. The EV is quiet and has strong acceleration, but nowhere near as strong as the Blazer SS will when it’s released.
