Criminals beware! The Chevy Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV) is in the hands of the coppers, and it offers some serious torque and acceleration. We got the chance to not only get behind the wheel of this custom BEV for law enforcement but also ride along with some officers in a simulated chase. Check out the full video below.
As we awaited the arrival of the passenger version of Chevy’s all-electric Blazer EV, the American automaker teased an intimidating variant in the works, designed specifically for the boys in blue. We got our first look at renderings of the Chevy Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle in the summer of 2022 as the first ‘pursuit-rated’ EV from Chevy ever made.
The customized BEV is based on the top-tier Chevy Blazer EV SS trim and was refit to meet specific Michigan State Police standards for hot pursuits of perps. By August 2023, Chevy shared video footage of an actual Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle, complete with a police-certified speedometer, heavy-duty suspension, underbody skid plates, and 20-inch steel wheels (seen below).
Powered by a 400V dual-motor AWD system, the electric Blazer can produce up to 498 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. At the time, Chevy shared that GM’s Ultium platform enables an optimized weight distribution and low center of gravity for dynamic driving.
This week, we got the chance to take the Blazer EV PPV for a spin, along with some time in the backseat (briefly) before riding shotgun for a speedy ride along.
Police just got a lot more sustainable with the Blazer EV
We recently traveled around the Detroit metropolitan area to test drive the upcoming Chevy Silverado RST and Equinox EVs. You’ll have to wait for those impressions later this month, but as a sweetener, Chevy surprised the media with a break in the drives to visit a local police academy and see the Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicles up close.
From afar and up close, the PPVs are sharp and intimidating. They can be appreciated as a unique step in sustainable law enforcement vehicles, as long as you’re a bystander and not the one being pursued.
The police-certified all-electric Blazers look like a standard police vehicle up front, with radios, a laptop, and “protection” (don’t worry, the guns in our EVs were rubber). The backseat was cold and uncomfortable (who knew?) but designed to keep both the rear passengers and police officers safe from one another.
There was not much to report back there except the decision to keep carbon fiber accents on the doors. I’m sure plenty of alleged criminals will say that’s a nice touch. The trunk leaves plenty of room for police equipment like riot gear, although I wasn’t allowed to try it on.
During our visit, I got to do some hot laps in the Blazer EV outside of the police academy, which you can see in the footage below. Afterward, I hopped in the front seat with an officer who took me on the same course at much higher speeds for a simulated chase. It was a blast.
Check out the full video of my experience with the Chevy Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle below: