President Joe Biden made an unscheduled stop at Ford’s test track outside of Detroit on Tuesday, where he also test drove the American automaker’s upcoming electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck.
“Being at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center today brought me home. For more than thirty years, my Dad managed car dealerships in Delaware. He would’ve loved visiting this complex, where you feel the history and see the future of an iconic American industry,” said the President on Twitter.
Biden was at Ford’s new Rogue Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, to promote his infrastructure plan, expected to benefit the EV industry to the tune of billions in dollars in investment.
Being at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center today brought me home. For more than thirty years, my Dad managed car dealerships in Delaware. He would’ve loved visiting this complex, where you feel the history and see the future of an iconic American industry. pic.twitter.com/w6fnqSoK55
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 18, 2021
In the video below, an electric Ford F-150 pulls up to the press pool, with the latter unaware if Biden is driving or not. The truck pulls up before the window rolls down, revealing Biden in the driver’s seat.
The President said he wasn’t sure if anyone had a stopwatch, but cited the truck’s fast 0-60mph acceleration in 4.3 or 4.4 seconds, with the exact number not public information yet.
He told the press “I’m just gonna step on it and come off on it at 80mph.” A reporter asks for permission to ask a question, to which Biden jokingly says “no you cannot”, adding, “unless you step in front of the truck.”
Biden then preps the press to then accelerate away in the truck before slowing down.
President Biden test drives Ford’s new electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck pic.twitter.com/A3jrsIi5mR
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) May 18, 2021
Ford will debut its new F-150 electric pickup truck on Wednesday, May 19, as part of a streaming event online.
Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck, in comparison, specifically its Dual Motor AWD version, is listed as being able to do 0 to 60mph in under 4.5 seconds, while the Tri Motor AWD lists a time of under 2.9 seconds. The Cybertruck is expected to start production in late 2021.
