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Main Page Plans for nation’s first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle
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Posted by: andy0921

Carbon Motors: A New Brand of Justice

Written by Jennifer Gavigan
Carbon Motors Corp., a new Atlanta-based car company, is in the planning and development stages to make the nation’s first purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle, code named the E7. The fire department and post office have their own purpose-built vehicles, while law enforcement typically uses modified retail passenger sedans designed primarily for civilian use.

No physical prototypes of the purpose-built vehicle currently exist. However, Carbon Motors has released specs for its intended car, including performance goals, and chassis, interior and dimensions. And, thanks to sophisticated digital engineering (CAD/CAE/CAM), a glimpse of the concept is possible.

The Carbon Motors team spent the past few years listening to hundreds of officers, chiefs, sheriffs, fleet administrators, mayors and federal authorities express concern about the vehicles officers use. According to the company’s research, the current police vehicles don’t meet all the wants and needs of law enforcement. They see an opportunity to significantly improve the product as well as the procurement, service and end-of-life disposal processes.

The continued input from the law enforcement sector has helped Carbon Motors develop a set of criteria that accurately reflects the needs and desires of the nation’s first responders. Carbon’s E7 will address the concerns regarding safety, performance, ergonomics, comfort, size, cost, fuel economy, presence, purchasing process, service, long-term durability and more.

Carbon Motors plans to be both the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and also the retailer. Carbon will distribute the vehicle and sell directly from the factory, servicing the vehicle and tailoring the solution to the region and the specific agency with parts readily available. The price of a fully equipped vehicle will be announced six to 12 months before start of production. Carbon wants to ensure that the transaction price will be less than what agencies are currently paying for a comparable vehicle and with comparable equipment.

At this time, Carbon is pursuing a nationwide “same price for all agencies” approach (except for shipping costs) to create a more even playing field across agency budgets. Carbon plans to run specials on equipment options or vehicles in order to better match supply with demand.

Carbon plans to construct a new manufacturing facility to produce the E7. After months of analysis and visits across the United States, Carbon chose the metro Atlanta area as its home base. Georgia will host the company’s headquarters, R&D center, as well as its production facility. The site has been identified with the support of federal, state, and local authorities and is projected to be in excess of 200 acres with a rail link and more than 500,000 square feet of buildings to house the operations of the entire company.

Clean Slate

Starting with a clean slate—a new business model and no legacy issues—provides Carbon an opportunity to tailor the solution to the marketplace. Carbon is building the entire company around mid-volume production strategy (10K to 80K units per year versus the 250K to 400K units per year of a typical OEM auto plant). This mid-volume emphasis requires new business processes, new technologies and new legal structures. Once the long-term governmental and financial agreements are complete, it will take about 36 months to get the E7 to full-scale production.

According to Carbon Motors, a significant portion of law enforcement agencies experience real-world fuel economy much less than 15 mpg. They think this deserves serious attention. In addition to the environmental impact of poor fuel economy, there is a negative impact on law enforcement agency budgets.

Carbon believes calibrating technologies to excessive idle patterns, wide-open throttle, aerodynamics, weight management and extreme usage can be optimized to yield a more affordable and environmentally responsible solution without compromise to performance. Addressing these concerns will ultimately save in fuel expenditures and provide much-needed budget relief.

Full and Safe Upfitting

Once the passenger car used by the police today comes from the local car dealer, it undergoes major modifications made by the agencies, their mechanics or contracted third parties. They install a significant level of aftermarket equipment that is not designed, tested or produced by the automakers. A fully equipped law enforcement patrol vehicle almost certainly does not meet the federally mandated safety regulations governing automobiles. Exposed bolts, sharp objects and equipment placed in unsafe areas of the interior are a major concern for officer safety.

Other safety considerations include high-speed crash management; vehicle dynamics; rollover protection; properly positioned exterior lighting; long-term usage seating; acceleration; ground clearance; departure and approach angles; interior projectiles and braking. The technologies exist to address each of the safety concerns associated with law enforcement vehicle use.

Once all the equipment arrives, agencies assemble and install the equipment and paint the car much like a manufacturing operation at an automaker. They must then provide maintenance and service for the vehicle very similar to a new car dealership. Once they need to pull it out of service, they must uninstall all of the equipment, sometimes repaint the car, and then sell the vehicle, similar to a used car dealership.

More than 18,000 distinct and unique law enforcement agencies exist in the United States, each with its own budget, staff and procedures, allowing for no economies of scale and causing significant inefficiencies in the system. According to Carbon, the technologies, processes and business model now exist to provide law enforcement agencies a turnkey solution that is cost-effective, safe and environmentally responsible.

Homeland Security

According to Carbon Motors, the patrol vehicle should be suitable for handling more than just patrol. It should be able to handle a homeland security threats and equipped to manage a domestic disaster. A patrol vehicle should have some minor level of deep water wading capability, with flooding from hurricanes and other natural disasters. A vehicle handling emergencies on and off road should have a non-debris prone air intake so the engine would not be starved of air when it is most needed.

A patrol vehicle should be able to manage semi-rough road terrain in addition to being equipped with a low-cost, forward looking infrared (FLIR) system for emergency situations. With all the pending threats against our nation, each vehicle should have the option to carry a low-cost weapons of mass destruction (WMD) sensor; a storage bin to hold MREs (Meals Ready to Eat); and on-board refrigeration capability for food and medical supplies as well as being able to provide an electricity supply.

Powertrain and Chassis

The engine planned for the Carbon’s E7 engine is a 3.0L In-line Six. The recommended fuel will be ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) or bio-diesel. The vehicle will be rear-wheel drive with 300 hp and a 6-speed automatic. The ABS braking system will use 14-inch front discs and 13-inch rear discs. The steel wheels will be 18 x 8-inch for 245/50R-18 tires. Front suspension includes struts, coil springs, and an anti-roll bar. Rear suspension has multi-link, coil springs, self-leveling shocks and an anti-roll bar. The E7 will have stability control, which is a safety device.

As planned, the E7’s wheelbase measures 122 inches; with an overall length of the vehicle is 200 inches. The 4,000-pound curb weight will be distributed 50% for both front and rear. Front headroom will be 40 inches with the rear headroom 38.5 inches and front legroom at 45 inches. The cargo volume is planned at 20 cubic feet, while the fuel capacity will be 18 gallons. The E7 is scheduled to use an aluminum space frame body structure and to withstand a rear crash at 75 mph.

Performance

The goal for the Carbon E7 is a 0 to 60 mph time in 6.5 seconds, the ¼-mile in 14.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. (That is like the Hemi® Charger’s performance.) Carbon Motors wants the E7 to stop in 125 feet from 60 mph. The goal for combined city and highway fuel economy is 28 to 30 mpg with clean diesel power. The E7 is designed for 250,000-mile lifecycle. A turnkey strategy is intended to include both a built-to-direct-order approach and an end-of-vehicle-life disposal process handled by Carbon.

The intended cockpit features fully integrated, factory-fitted police equipment including integrated emergency lights, spotlights, takedown lights and directional stick. The E7 will meet NIJ Level III-A (or better) ballistic protection (front doors / dash panel). A purpose-designed seat for use with on-body equipment is also heated and ventilated. Other options include heads-up display; reverse backup camera; and a driver-specific intelligent key. A 360-degree exterior surveillance capability, in addition to video and audio surveillance of rear passenger compartment, is viewable at dispatch.

The E7 is planned to have an automatic license plate recognition system, night vision-compliant interior illumination; integrated forward-looking infrared system (FLIR) and shotgun mounts; integrated front and rear passenger compartment partition; and integrated push bumpers. Law enforcement agencies will be able to select from more than 40 different options to tailor their vehicle needs to their specific operating environments and budgets.

Carbon Council

The Carbon Council is a user’s group established to provide direct interaction with the Carbon team as it relates to both product and service related matters. It is also looking for input on all facets of the vehicle, from concept to completion. Carbon Motors is even looking to have the police community provide suggestions for the E7’s final name.

Joining the Carbon Council entitles members to participate in surveys, formal and informal market research events, digital design reviews, pre-production customer drive evaluations, and future corporate events including the groundbreaking and the start of production. Active or retired law enforcement officials interested in joining the Carbon Council should write to

Posted by: Killjoy

Yeah, when management looks at the pricetag, you can bet YOUR department will not be getting the E7. Police management picks Crown Vics because they are relatively cheap, fast, have 4-doors, and are roomy. If management thought they could equip us with Nissan Sentra's, they would. The last thing management would do is buy $80,000 super cars...not when they could buy 3-4 other cars for the same price.

Posted by: Wolfman

"...you have 10 seconds to comply..."

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killjoy

Yeah, when management looks at the pricetag, you can bet YOUR department will not be getting the E7.

Once the ashtrays in his Hemi Charger are full, I heard the chief of the Middleton PD will be buying one for himself.

Posted by: screamineagle

man that is one ugly car.

Posted by: pahapoika

could use some real bumpers to protect all that plastic.

maybe a back seat you could wash out with a hose ?

suicide doors ?

Posted by: SOT

looks gai but more so looks like a Dodge with a ground effects kit.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Posted by: 94c

but how does it handle potholes?

Posted by: csauce777

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killjoy

Yeah, when management looks at the pricetag, you can bet YOUR department will not be getting the E7. Police management picks Crown Vics because they are relatively cheap, fast, have 4-doors, and are roomy. If management thought they could equip us with Nissan Sentra's, they would. The last thing management would do is buy $80,000 super cars...not when they could buy 3-4 other cars for the same price.

It sounds like they've thought about that..

Quote:

Carbon wants to ensure that the transaction price will be less than what agencies are currently paying for a comparable vehicle and with comparable equipment.

Posted by: SOT

That's because the car is only 9 inches long!

Posted by: Foxy85

The E7 doesn’t exist, but if police agencies nationwide know what’s good for them, it will. It would be the world’s first purpose-built police car, a diesel-powered Dodge Charger look-alike with a laundry list of built-to-order options, such as armored front doors and dashboards (capable of stopping 9-mm rounds) and forward-looking infrared cameras. But the biggest potential innovation here is the business model. “Law enforcement agencies don’t buy in bulk,” says William Li, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based Carbon Motors. “They have no economies of scale.”

For major automakers, there’s no profit in designing a niche product like a purpose-built squad car. So agencies continue to buy standard Crown Victorias or Chevy Tahoes and then install aftermarket lights, sirens, laptop docks and other gear. As a leaner, niche-vehicle startup, Carbon Motors—started by ex-Ford executives—wants to deliver a high-performance, fully integrated patrol vehicle for roughly the same price as the retrofitted models currently on the road. In theory, by standardizing the installation process for the various police-friendly options, and using newer manufacturing processes (including thermoplastics instead of paint for customized color schemes), Carbon Motors could squeak out a profit that, as Li calls them, “legacy automakers” couldn’t.

The E7 would go from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph, and a slew of humble-sounding improvements, like seats that can accommodate radios and other bulky equipment. According to Li, the E7 would start in the high-20s, climbing up to as much as $70,000 with options like license-plate-reading cameras and even WMD sensors. In the long run, the E7 could prove more cost-effective than current patrol cars: Carbon Motors claims it will be 40 percent more fuel efficient, with a life span of 250,000 miles (most models used as police cars are expected to last for 70,000 miles).

Short-Term Impact: Carbon Motors is still on the hunt for funding. According to Li, a “large financing transaction” could lead to a working E7 within three years.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...w/4231942.html

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94c

but how does it handle potholes?

JATO...it'll jump them

Posted by: andy0921

Quote:

high-20s, climbing up to as much as $70,000

Killjoy is right; you won't be seeing these things when you can get a C/V in the low 20s..

Posted by: 94c

A real cop car would fill them potholes.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy0921

Killjoy is right; you won't be seeing these things when you can get a C/V in the low 20s..

The 70K price includes all the bells & whistles like an onboard license plate identifier, WMD detector, and other things we'd never see anyway.

If Carbon can keep the price around $30K for the base model, I think they'll have a market.

Posted by: pahapoika

the checker cab was a purpose built vehicle and had a 60 year production run.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by pahapoika

the checker cab was a purpose built vehicle and had a 60 year production run.

The Chelsea PD used them for awhile.

Posted by: Irish Wampanoag

The car would be great!, If I were patrolling the rings of Saturn! Give me a break! This car is comparable?, comparable to what?, Darth Vader's Tie Fighter!

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Posted by: WaterPistola

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Wampanoag

The car would be great!, If I were patrolling the rings of Saturn! Give me a break! This car is comparable?, comparable to what?, Darth Vader's Tie Fighter!

</IMG>

HAHAHA

Posted by: HELPMe

i saw that website they have a few other cool gadgets that are very high tech but not very cost effective. Like the cannon that mounts in the grill of a CVPI that will "shoot" a wad of sticky gell with a GPS traker on it. I thought the "rumber" made by federal signal was a good idea, using bass against the bass heads. The vehicle looks like mad max though

Posted by: snapbox

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxy85

Carbon Motors claims it will be 40 percent more fuel efficient, with a life span of 250,000 miles (most models used as police cars are expected to last for 70,000 miles).

Tell that to my 2003 with 145,000 on it. (Sounds like a bucket of bolts, but still going strong)

Posted by: Finding Nemo

Can we say ROBOCOP !!!!!!!!!

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