Will city of Decatur be able to afford new Police Cars?
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Straight out of a Hollywood movie, the "E7" may be the police car of the future.
"You think about Knight Rider and all these fictional characters," said William Santana Li, chairman and CEO of the Atlanta-based Carbon Motors Corporation. "This car is actually real."
A prototype model of the E7 is on a nine-city U.S. tour, as Carbon Motors executives market the car to law enforcement officials and municipal fleet managers.
Unlike conventional police cruisers, which are retrofitted consumer vehicles such as the Ford Crown Victoria, the E7 is the first car designed and built specifically for law enforcement.
"You would never send a pickup truck to go put out a fire," Li said. "Why would you send a family sedan to go take care of a homeland-security issue?"
Flashing emergency lights are embedded in the E7's frame, making the car aerodynamic and visible from all directions. The front seats are designed with extra space to accommodate a police officer's utility belt.
he rear passenger compartment is completely sealed off from the cockpit. Molded plastic seats in back allow for easy cleaning and prevent prisoners from hiding contraband.
Two front-mounted cameras automatically scan license plates of nearby vehicles and alert police when they find a car flagged as stolen or involved in some other crime. According to developers, the car's onboard equipment can also detect nuclear and biological threats.
Li said the car's 300 bhp forced-induction 3.0-diesel engine will deliver 420 lb-ft of torque and propel the vehicle from zero to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, with a governed top speed of 155 mph.
He also said the E7's engine, which can run on either ultra-low sulfur diesel or biodiesel, will have a combined fuel economy rating of 28 to 30 mpg — up to 40 percent more fuel efficient than conventional police cruisers.
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