The Fastest Police Trucks in the US (As of 2023)

Over in the good ol' US of A, the Ford Motor Company is trying to tempt law enforcement agencies into buying the Mustang Mach-E. The biggest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit also has a zero-emission crossover modified for police duty, that crossover being the 2024 Blazer EV PPV.

FoMoCo further sweetens the deal with an electric pickup in the form of the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV, which made our list of the fastest police trucks in the United States of America. Currently the only electric pickup intended for police work, the Lightning Pro SSV is joined by a diverse assortment of combustion-engined trucks, both unibodies and body on frame.

To keep things nice and tidy, we've left out three-quarter-ton and heavier pickups, along with workhorses that are limited under or can't reach triple-digit speeds. Think Chevrolet Colorado and Border Patrol SVT Raptor. That being said, let's kick things off with a HEMI-engined police truck that may soon be canned together with the 5.7-liter Eagle V8 lump.

Ram 1500 SSV: 106 mph

Available in Special Service Vehicle flavor since 2012, the Ram 1500 is an honest pickup that continues to serve with the nation's law enforcement agencies. Based on the DS series from the 2009 model year rather than the DT from the 2019 model year, the Ram 1500 SSV belts out 395 horsepower.

Assembled at the Warren truck plant in Michigan, this fellow puts out a respectable 410 pound-feet (556 Nm) at 3,950 revolutions per minute. Limited to 5,800 revolutions per minute and 106 miles per hour (nearly 171 kilometers per hour), the crew-cabbed pickup comes with four-wheel drive as standard.

At the moment of writing, the civilian-spec 1500 Classic is available to configure as a 2023 model, yet Chrysler has recently facelifted the DT for 2025. Nobody except Chrysler knows for certain what's going to happen to the 1500 Classic after 2023, but we do know that HEMI production will soon come to an end at the Saltillo Engine Plant in favor of the inline-six turbo available in the DT-series 2025 Ram 1500.

Toyota Tundra: 110 mph

Speaking of V8s going the way of the dodo, the Toyota Tundra is another example of a half-ton pickup without eight-cylinder options. It wasn't this way before, though. Offered between the 2007 and 2021 model years, the second-gen Tundra tops 381 horsepower with the 3UR-FE Dual VVT-i V8.

Programmed to kick in at 110 miles per hour (that would be 177 kilometers per hour), the speed limiter is there for a reason. For starters, the Tundra is rather heavy due to its body-on-frame construction. Even with tires rated for high speeds, there is always the risk of a catastrophic blowout due to debris and potholes. The biggest impediment to high speeds in a pickup, on the other hand, is the rear driveshaft.

We couldn't find any instance of the third-gen Tundra upfitted for police duty, which – get this – is a bit slower than its predecessor. The most the 2022-and-newer Tundra can handle is 106 miles per hour. On the upside, the rather pricey Tundra is available with hybrid muscle. In combination with the 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 that's described as being a 3.5 by too many dealers, the i-FORCE MAX powertrain develops 437 ponies and 583 pound-feet (790 Nm).

Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV: 110 mph

Unleashed in July 2022, the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is designed for pretty much anything other than pursuit capability. The first purpose-built electric law enforcement pickup truck in the United States of America comes in two distinct specifications, namely Standard Range or Extended Range. Going for the latter also means a little bit more power, as in 580 at full chatter as opposed to the base 452 ponies.

The peak torque rating is the same for both the Standard Range (98 kWh) and Extended Range (131 kWh). The high-voltage batteries are produced by South Korean colossus SK Group in the US of A. Previously known as Sunkyong Group, the second largest chaebol after Samsung was founded in 1953. Subsidiaries and affiliates number circa 200, yet the Energy & Chemicals division brings in the biggest profits.

While it may fail to impress in terms of top end, the F-150 Lightning Pro SSV is understandably quick from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). The Extended Range version requires fewer than four seconds to reach 60, and yes, the folks at Ford subtract the first foot (0.3 meters) of rollout.

Honda Ridgeline: 110 mph

Here's a truck you probably didn't imagine serving with the boys and girls in blue. Once the only unibody truck in the United States, the Ridgeline now has two compact-sized competitors in the form of the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. We'll get to the Maverick in two paragraphs' time, but not the Santa Cruz. What's funny about that is that the Santa Cruz is quite a bit faster than the Maverick: 133 miles per hour (214 kilometers per hour) versus 110 (177).

Snapped in Hanover, New Hampshire with an 8.1-megapixel camera, the police truck pictured above definitely ticks all the right boxes. Cool decals? Police-style wheels? A push bar? A spotlight? Check, check, check, and check again! Information may be slim on this example of the breed, yet we're 100% certain that said truck is rocking the stock engine.

Internally referred to as YK1, the original Ridgeline sported the J35A9 at first, then switched to the slightly punchier J35Z5. The second generation also features a 3.5-liter V6 from the J engine family, a 24-valve mill with VTEC on the intake valves only. Introduced by the 2023 model year Honda Pilot, the J35Y8 is the newest member of the J series. Rather than VTEC, this engine features the DOHC heads of the 3.0-liter V6 of the Acura TLX Type S sedan.

Ford Maverick: 110 mph

As you're well aware, Mavericks come with either an Atkinson-cycle hybrid powertrain or a four-cylinder turbo shared with the Bronco Sport Badlands. The latter's eight-speed automatic is also shared with the Bronco Sport Badlands, whose twin-clutch rear drive unit carries over to the Maverick Tremor Package.

Ford's most affordable truck serves with a few police departments in the US, including San Luis Obispo PD and Camarillo PD. Regardless of what's hiding under the hood, the unibody truck doesn't go faster than 110 miles per hour due to software. Is that a problem, though? In light of its MSRP, certainly not. Originally priced at $19,995 excluding destination charge, the Maverick starts at $23,400 for MY24.

The biggest change for the 2024 model year is the standard powertrain switcheroo. The hybrid is optional across the board, offering up to 37 miles per gallon (6.4 liters per 100 kilometers) on the combined test cycle. By comparison, the technically similar yet more aerodynamic Escape Hybrid is rated at 39 miles per gallon (6.0 liters per 100 kilometers). Both of them, as well as the Bronco Sport, are based on Ford's C2 platform that further underpins the Lincoln Corsair, Nautilus, Escape for Europe, and a handful of China-specific automobiles such as the Evos.

Jeep Gladiator: 112 mph

112 miles per hour (180 kilometers per hour) in the Gladiator is only possible with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 turbo diesel. Coming courtesy of Stellantis-owned VM Motori, said engine was discontinued after the 2023 model year, leaving the Gladiator with nothing more than Chrysler's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. Limited to 1,000 copies for the US market, the incredibly expensive Gladiator FarOut Edition ($71,790) marks the diesel engine's bitter end.

Previously used in the Grand Cherokee, Ram 1500, Maserati sedans, and the Maserati Levante, the 630-series EcoDiesel V6 rolled out in 2011. Stellantis doesn't have a direct successor to speak of. Most likely, Groupe PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles prefer to spend their development money on electrification of their European and US lineups.

Used by a number of police departments, the Gladiator usually comes limited to 97 miles per hour (156 kilometers per hour) if equipped with the standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6. Opting for the Cold Weather Package unlocks 13 extra miles per hour. In related news, have you heard that Jeep will start production of the Gladiator 4xe PHEV in 2025?

Chevrolet Silverado PPV: 112 mph

Joined at the hip to the Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle, the Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle comes exclusively as a crew cab with a short bed and four-wheel drive. Chevrolet's first pursuit-rated pickup is powered by the 5.3-liter version of the brand's venerable small block, not the 6.2-liter engine.

Identified under regular production order code L84, the 5.3 boasts Active Fuel Management. In Chevrolet vernacular, that's cylinder deactivation for all eight cylinders rather than a cylinder bank. AFM builds on Dynamic Fuel Management with no fewer than 17 modes of operation, including one cylinder mode. Commonly referred to as EcoTec3 5.3L, this small block is connected to a 10-speed auto developed by FoMoCo under a technical partnership with GM.

Equipped with the same black steel wheels as the Tahoe PPV, the Silverado PPV has off-road chops as well thanks to Rancho shocks à la the Z71 off-road package for the civilian-spec Silverado 1500. An available 2.0-inch suspension lift needs to be highlighted as well, giving the half-ton pickup 11.35 inches (28.8 centimeters) of ground clearance and an approach angle of 25.9 degrees. To reduce upfit time, headlamp and taillamp flashers come standard.

Toyota Tacoma: 113 mph

Redesigned from the ground up for model year 2024, the Tacoma does serve with law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. Upfitters that can modify the N300-series Tacoma include Emergency Fleet Service of Houston, Texas. As opposed to Chrysler, General Motors, and the Ford Motor Company, the folks at Toyota Motor North America don't sell police-rated vehicles from the factory.

Produced between 2015 and 2023 for model years 2016 through 2023, the third-generation Tacoma was originally manufactured in San Antonio. Come 2020, production switched to TMMBC in Tijuana and TMMGT in Apaseo el Grande. The N400 series will be produced in Mexico exclusively, with series production scheduled to begin in December 2023.

In addition to the TNGA-F platform of the Tundra, Land Cruiser 300, and Land Cruiser 250, the other big changes for 2024 come in the form of a 2.4-liter turbo inline-four engine and hybrid assistance. Similar to the Tundra, the Tacoma with the hybrid 2.4er is also called i-FORCE MAX. Because why not confuse potential customers, right? Criticism aside, 465 pound-feet (630 Nm) is more than adequate for a mid-size pickup. Lower down the spectrum, certain combustion-only trims can be had with a manual.

Nissan Frontier: 120 mph

Yet another previous-gen pickup that made our list of the fastest police trucks in the United States, the D40-series Frontier was introduced for the 2005 model year at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. Capable of hitting 120 miles per hour (193 kilometers per hour) in 38.8 seconds, the Frontier with the 3.8-liter V6 sports a nine-speed automatic tranny with German origins. More specifically, what Nissan subsidiary JATCO calls JR913E is actually a slightly modified 9G-Tronic built under license.

Pictured with City of Ione volunteer police livery (via Caleb O on Flickr), the D40-series Frontier was replaced by the D41 for the 2022 model year. The 3.8 and nine-speed auto carry over, and the redesigned truck is underpinned by a slightly revised version of the previous-gen truck's Nissan F-Alpha platform. Assembled in Mississippi, the D41 is electronically limited to precisely 113 miles per hour (182 kph).

Otherwise put, it's one mile per hour slower than the 114-mph Ford F-150 Raptor R. Looking at the glass half full, it's one mile per hour faster than the aforementioned Gladiator EcoDiesel. At press time, Nissan's midsizer carries a sticker price of $29,770 for the King Cab S 4x2. At the other end of the spectrum, the Crew Cab Hardbody Edition 4x4 pays tribute to the 1980s Hardbody with an MSRP of $43,940.

Ford F-150 Police Responder: 120 mph

And now, for the grand finale, Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 helps the F-150 Police Responder accelerate to the tune of 400 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) to 120 miles per hour. The American automotive industry's first pursuit-rated pickup truck was revealed in July 2017 with 375 ponies and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) on tap. Back then, the F-150 Police Responder topped at 100.

While on the subject of fast F-150s, the F-150 SVT Raptor Border Patrol Service Package was rated at 98 miles per hour (158 kilometers per hour) in 2010. Published in 2007, the Michigan State Police 2008 Model Year Police Vehicle Evaluation Program lists the F-150 SuperCrew Styleside 5.4L with a top end of 95 miles per hour (153 kilometers per hour).

The most powerful internal combustion-engined police truck, as well as the fastest police truck in production today, the F-150 Police Responder was updated for 2024 at the beginning of November 2023 with nicer styling cues and more standard equipment such as Police Perimeter Alert, Police Dark Car, and Police Engine Idle. 18-inch steelies, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12-inch touchscreen are standard as well. When it comes to extras, the most important of the bunch are the Spot Lamp Prep Kit, Spot Lamps, Inoperable Rear Door Lock, Handle, and Window Controls. The optional stuff is installed by Ford-owned Troy Design & Manufacturing.