Tacoma City Council adopted a purchase resolution Tuesday that awards a $414,885 (plus applicable sales tax) contract to Columbia Ford Lincoln of Longview, Wash., for the purchase of 15 current model Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles.

According to City of Tacoma staff, the new vehicles will replace police cars that have reached the end of their life-cycle and are no longer feasible to maintain. The old police cars will be sold at auction.

The new model of police cars was selected because the current fleet model, the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, is no longer produced by Ford Motor Company. Additionally, the new vehicles are projected to get at least 20 per cent better fuel efficiency than the old vehicles.