U.S. President Joe Biden got to test drive the Ford F-150 Lightning before anyone else. Ford's long-awaited electric pickup truck was unveiled with great fanfare last night. But during an earlier visit to the complex where the Ford F-150 Lightning will be assembled, the car-loving president got a sneak preview. Officials swear the drive was not pre-planned, but in any event it allowed the curious to get a first look at the model before its big unveiling.
“This sucker’s quick,” Joe Biden said after stopping in front of accompanying reporters. “I’m just gonna step on it. I’ll come off at 80 miles per hour. Okay, here we go. Ready?” he said before stepping again on the accelerator.
The president let slip, during a conversation with a Ford official, that the Lightning can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) in 4.3 or 4.4 seconds. Of course, at that moment this bit of information was secret – the presentation took place only on Wednesday night. So technically, Joe Biden shared “classified” information.
The plant where the F-150 Lightning will be assembled is at the company's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The president was there primarily to promote his infrastructure plan, which calls for billions of dollars in electric vehicle development in the United States.
One other fact makes this bit of news interesting for those in the automotive trade: U.S. presidents rarely get to drive. But then, that's to be expected from Joe Biden. We've already told you about his passion for vehicles, in particular his beloved 1967 Chevrolet Corvette.