Ram has introduced the new 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle. It’s America’s first pursuit-capable heavy duty pickup truck. The model sports a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 405 hp and 429 lb-ft. If you get pulled over by police, there’s a pretty good chance they’re driving a Ford. The Blue Oval dominates the law enforcement market, but Stellantis just found a heavy duty-sized hole. They’re now filling it with the 2027 Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle, which is the “first and only 3/4-ton truck with pursuit‑capable performance.” It builds on the 2500 Special Service Vehicle and has been designed to meet the needs of law enforcement as well as fire and rescue services, all while maintaining the towing and hauling capabilities that heavy duty pickups are known for. In effect, it’s a capable multi-purpose vehicle that can handle a variety of different tasks. This should make it well-suited for a number of departments, especially those out west. On the styling front, there isn’t much to report as the model looks like your typical 2500. However, the Emergency Response Vehicle rides on 18-inch steelies that are designed to “withstand intensive field use.” The model also sports a transfer case skid plate as well as a five-link coil rear suspension, which helps with dynamic driving during pursuits. Ram didn’t say much about the interior, but it has a column shifter as well as auxiliary switches mounted on the instrument panel. They’re joined by a Vehicle System Interface Module and dedicated wiring circuits that aid in aftermarket upfitting. We can also expect vinyl flooring and seats. Power comes from a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that produces 405 hp (302 kW / 411 PS) and 429 lb‑ft (581 Nm) of torque. It’s connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system. This enables the truck to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 8.4 seconds and 0-100 mph (0-160 km/h) in 20.5 seconds. It will eventually top out at a “tire-limited” 103 mph (166 km/h). The features don’t end there as the model has a 4.10 axle ratio as well as an anti‑spin rear diff. Departments will also find dual alternators to power plenty of police gear. Tested To Extremes Michigan State Police The truck was recently put through its paces by the Michigan State Police, which is the country’s premiere organization for evaluating law enforcement vehicles. Besides the aforementioned performance specs, they found the truck has an average stopping distance of 170.13 feet (51.9 meters) at 60 mph (96 km/h), which is 21.82 feet (6.7 meters) more than the Ford F-150 Police Responder. On the ergonomics side of the equation, the truck got a 6.78 out of 10. That was the second lowest score this year as it only bested the Mustang Mach-E, which received a rating of 6.30. Michigan State Police Interestingly, the Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle wasn’t the thirstiest truck in the test. It has an estimated fuel economy rating of 14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway, and 16 mpg combined. Those aren’t great numbers, but they beat the Chevrolet Silverado PPV Z71 which gets 14 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined. That brings us to lap times at the Grattan Raceway. The truck completed the course in an average of 1:52.17, which was unsurprisingly the slowest. The aforementioned Chevy averaged 1:40.14, while the F-150 did it in 1:39.56. The Ram 2500 Emergency Response Vehicle will be available to fleets in the second half of 2026, but there’s no word on pricing.
