A heavy-duty pickup that can haul, tow and stay in the chase is now available for your lineup. The Ram 2500 Heavy Duty (HD) Emergency Response Vehicle is here for government and law enforcement agencies, adding pursuit-capable hardware and heavy-duty capability to serve your operation. The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle is the first and only ¾‑ton truck to complete the Michigan State Police (MSP) vehicle trials, proving performance in testing scenarios designed to replicate extreme real‑world experiences.
“Pursuit vehicles were historically limited to sedans and SUVs, but with the new Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle, we’re giving government agencies the 3/4-ton pursuit-capable truck,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of American Brands, SRT Performance, NA Marketing and Retail Strategy. “The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle provides the men and women that dedicate their lives to service more capability when it counts.”
Engineering the Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle
Ram Engineering quickly defined what a Ram 2500 HD emergency response vehicle should be after agency requests for a pursuit-capable emergency‑response package suited to rural, mountainous and mixed‑terrain regions. The goal was to combine law‑enforcement capability with the flexibility required by Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Response agencies, all while maintaining Ram Heavy Duty’s capability.
The Emergency Response Vehicle was built on the existing Ram 2500 HD Special Service Vehicle, engineered to meet or exceed key law-enforcement requirements, including interior and exterior ergonomics, communications equipment integration, pursuit-capable vehicle dynamics and more.
Specific tests performed at the MSP trials included:
- 0-60 mph acceleration, 0-80 mph acceleration, and 0-100 mph acceleration
- Distance covered to reach top speed
- Average deceleration rate while performing 20 full anti-lock brake stops from 60-0 mph
- Successful completion of all 32 laps of the Grattan Raceway dynamics testing without major component failure
The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle uses a 6.4‑liter HEMI® V8, capable of 410 horsepower and 429 lb.‑ft. of torque, to meet MSP testing expectations. A TorqueFlite HD eight‑speed automatic transmission and a selectable two‑speed transfer case route power to the axles, while an anti‑spin differential paired with an uprated 4.10 axle ratio helps enhance acceleration and power delivery (for comparison, the standard Ram 2500 axle ratio is 3.42).
In 0–100 mph acceleration testing, the Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle’s recorded times within two seconds of several lighter and smaller ½‑ton truck and SUV competitors, posting an 8.41 second sprint to 60 mph, 13.22 seconds to 80 mph and 20.5 seconds to 100 mph. This truck reached a tire-limited speed of 103 mph in a scant 0.45 miles, staying on-pace with competitors.
Durability is just as important as speed, which is why the Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle is equipped with a transfer‑case skid plate for underbody protection and 18‑inch steel wheels engineered to withstand the demand of field operations.
Inside, a Vehicle System Interface Module, instrument panel auxiliary switches and dedicated wiring circuits provide ease of upfit for fleets with special equipment. The truck’s column shifter further opens valuable interior real estate for communications equipment and other electronics used in the field.
Putting the Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle to the Test
The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle was put through a variety of MSP testing procedures, including high‑speed maneuverability, braking performance, competitive hot laps and acceleration. This truck’s entry met or exceeded the criteria for law enforcement duty and outperformed competitive vehicles in post‑test tire wear after completing 40 laps at Grattan Raceway.
The two‑mile track is located just outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, and features ten challenging turns that push the limits of vehicle dynamics. These include a 160‑degree hairpin, a downhill reverse‑camber section, and a 3,200‑foot straight designed to test both acceleration and braking performance. While heavy duty trucks are traditionally known for being good at towing and hauling, those same attributes translate to the braking and handling required to manage the extreme chassis loading that pursuit and emergency vehicle duty cycles require. The Ram 2500 HD was made to pass these tests with a five-link coil system rear suspension, designed to help improve handling without sacrificing capability.
To learn more about how testing was conducted by the Michigan State Police, including evaluation criteria and conditions, visit the official report: Michigan State Police – Police Vehicle Evaluation MY2026.
Add The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle to Your Lineup
The Ram 2500 HD Emergency Response Vehicle joins other Stellantis law enforcement rated vehicles including the Dodge Durango Pursuit, Jeep® Grand Wagoneer Command Operations Vehicle and Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 special service vehicles. Visit www.stellantisfleet.com to learn more about this truck and how you can add it to your lineup.
