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Squad of the future: Is Carbon building it now?

Police Driving: Safety Behind the Wheel with Capt. Travis Yates

Carbon Motors Corporation is a new American automaker that is developing and will manufacture, distribute, and service the Carbon E7, the world's first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle. There are other articles about the new E7 on the Carbon website, which you can visit by clicking here.

Several years ago I was contacted by former Ford Motor Company executive William Santana Li. Li was heading a new company in Atlanta called Carbon Motors Corporation, where he intended to build a vehicle designed solely for law enforcement. I am frequently contacted by budding entrepreneurs, so I was skeptical at first. But the conversation with Carbon Motors officials was different. They had passion and an unyielding desire to make a car that surpasses everyone’s imagination. My interest was piqued, and over the years I’ve continued to pay close attention to the vision that Li and his associates are now turning into a reality.

Why build a car made just for law enforcement? According to Stacy Dean Stephens, a former Texas police officer and now Carbon’s Sales Development Manager, the answer is simple: “Because there is a need. It’s been seven years since 9/11 and our country’s law enforcement first responders still do not have the appropriate equipment.”

Indeed, while firefighters drive fire trucks, mail carriers drive postal trucks, military personnel drive military vehicles, police officers drive retail passenger cars that were never built for the sole use of a police officer working American streets. That is until the ‘E7’ – Carbon’s code name for their vehicle.

Perhaps this is the reason Carbon was able to assemble such an impressive Advisory Board – former Secretary of Homeland Security and two-term Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge; former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, retired member of Congress from Indiana and vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission; and President Clinton’s national “drug czar”, former New York City Police Commissioner and Mayor of Houston, Dr. Lee Brown.

“One thing that has become clear since 2001 is that an effective homeland security strategy demands new solutions to old problems, and Carbon Motors is taking up that challenge,” said Hamilton. “The E7 not only provides greater officer safety and efficiency, it also saves taxpayer money. By improving fuel economy by more than 40 percent the more police departments that adopt the E7, the more money we can put directly into critical new law enforcement resources.”

The uniqueness of the Carbon E7 comes from those that drove the product, America’s Finest. According to Stephens, law enforcement officers “have complete say in the development of the E7. We want to capture the end user opinion and their real life experience in the product.”

Using focus groups, surveys, and a secure message board, officers participate in the Carbon Council and help the design and development team build the car. According to Stephens, “Anytime we have a question, we place it in the secure forum. As we receive the answers to our questions from the officers, we weigh our options and make the decision based on what we are being told. It is absolutely critical that we listen to those that will be using the vehicle.”

“This will truly be the first vehicle designed by law enforcement, for law enforcement,” Stephens continued. “The E7’s production name will even be chosen by an officer in a naming contest open only to Carbon Council members. Carbon will donate one fully equipped E7 to the winning person’s agency to use for a minimum of three years.”

The Carbon Council remains active with more than 1,300 members representing 950 agencies across all 50 States and spanning every branch of law enforcement. I have been a member since its inception and you can join by visiting: www.carbonmotors.com/council.

So what will make the E7 different from the rest? A look at the specifications makes it clear that the Carbon E7 is here to please.

Performance
With a turbocharged diesel engine and 300 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque, the E7 will not only get an expected 28-30 miles per gallon but will reach 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds along with a maximum governed speed of 155 mph. One tank of fuel is expected to carry an officer in excess of 500 miles and the platform of the E7 is designed to last for 250,000 miles. Speed and durability are what the E7 is based on but what about the tools of the trade for law enforcement?

Exterior
Emergency lights will be built into the car’s body, not only helping the car’s fuel efficiency but giving it a sleek look like no other emergency response vehicle on the road today. The E7 will come with integrated push bumpers which will give the vehicle the capability to perform PIT Maneuvers and integrated emergency lights, spot lights, take down lights, and directional stick will ensure the E7 is visible at night during traffic stops and emergency runs.

Interior
The interior has a highly durable seat material, emergency controls on the steering wheel, plenty of storage space, and a trash bin. The options on the E7 are sure to impress all and include audio/video surveillance equipment, an automatic license plate recognition system, backup camera, heads-up display, GPS System, heated mirrors and a mobile data computer. Many more options are available including a Weapons of Mass Destruction sensor and radar. And everything is integrated into the cockpit just like a fighter aircraft or helicopter.

Ergonomics
While the E7 has plenty to offer on the outside and inside, cars for law enforcement have to pass the ultimate test, comfort. The Carbon E7 has worked hard in that area. With the longest wheel base of any existing vehicle used in law enforcement (122 inches) and a height at least 6 inches higher than its closest rival and the most front legroom of any other police vehicle, the E7 is certain to make America’s Finest happy in their office to come.

Safety
A comfortable ride, sleek looks and durability are one thing but safety should always prevail when it comes to the equipment our law enforcement officers have. The E7 has worked hard in this area. With side and curtain air bags, tire pressure monitoring, traction control system and 75 mph rear impact crash capability, Carbon Motors has shown their concern for the dangers our officers’ face and they have taken action.

The focus of Carbon Motors is clear on their website: “When officers die in the line of duty, not because of a criminal action, but because we have failed to provide them the appropriate equipment to patrol our homeland, it matters to us. It affects our communities, our livelihood, our country, and is a direct reflection of our competitiveness as a nation. We will rectify this injustice that has gone on for far, far too long.”

Price
The Carbon E7 is sure to impress but what about the price? In my initial discussions with Carbon Motors, I emphasized the need to remain competitive in price to the existing law enforcement vehicles. They have worked hard to achieve that and while the exact price is not yet available, it looks to be competitive when you assess the total cost of ownership.

According to Sales Development Manager Stacy Dean Stephens, “The total cost of ownership is the key. When you look at what we have been able to accomplish through a safer vehicle, improved gas mileage and durability that will sustain the rigors of patrol, the Carbon E7 will meet agencies’ everyday needs and will do so within their budgets.”

Law enforcement vehicles are required to run and drive for long periods of time under some extreme conditions. Retail passenger vehicles, and the officers that drive them, do not always fair well in those conditions. Everything about the E7 comes back to safety. It is anticipated that fewer injuries will result in fewer workers comp claims and officers on light duty, which are also material costs to departments.

According to Stephens, “If you can mitigate the injuries, you can mitigate the costs associated with those injuries. The E7 will do that by integrating all of the equipment that clutters the cockpit (which could become projectiles in the case of an accident) and by including seats designed to accommodate.”

Production
The Carbon E7 is expected to be available to law enforcement agencies in 2012 with a prototype being revealed later this year. Unlike current police cars, when the life span of the car ends, Carbon Motors plans to take them back and recycle them, eliminating any worries that non-law enforcement personnel will ever get one.

There has been a lot said about the Carbon E7 in the last year. I was skeptical several years ago when I heard the idea and frankly, I still have some small doubts. While no one can argue the need and the quality of what is proposed in the E7, the fact remains that as of today the car has not been built. That may soon end and if the planned prototype roll-out happens later this year as promised, I hope to be there so you will be some of the first to know about the latest developments with the world’s first true police vehicle – the Carbon Motors E7.

Additional Information:

Compare the E7 With Competitors

Carbon Council To Influence the Future of E7