autoevolution
 

Here’s How President Biden Came to Drive the Ford F-150 Lightning at the Track

One day before the rest of the world got to see the production version of the 2022 F-150 Lightning, Ford’s first-ever electric pickup truck, President Joe Biden got the full experience. He was given a complete tour with explanations and got to drive it at the Ford test track.
U.S. President Joe Biden takes the new Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck out for a test drive 50 photos
Photo: Twitter/Mario Parker
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning and Joe Biden2023 Ford F-150 Lightning and Joe Biden2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning and Joe Biden2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Lightning2023 Ford F-150 Electric independent rear suspension2023 Ford F-150 Electric snow drifting2023 Ford F-150 Electric snow drifting2023 Ford F-150 Electric snow drifting2023 Ford F-150 Electric snow driving2023 Ford F-150 Electric design teaser2021 Ford F-1502021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost V6 hybrid2021 Ford F-1502021 Ford F-1502021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 interior2021 Ford F-150 Max Recline Seats2021 Ford F-150 design sketch2021 Ford F-150 design sketch2021 Ford F-150 design sketch
That happened during an official visit to the Dearborn, Michigan plant. Video of Biden driving the electric truck is available at the bottom of the page.

All media representatives along for the visit were invited to the track, so there are various angles of the President pulling up next to them and saying he believed he hit 60 mph (96.5 kph) in about 4.4 seconds. “This sucker is quick,” he enthused, as he prepared to drive off again, to see just how fast he could go on the open track.

Shortly after the video went public, reports started popping up, claiming this was some sort of stunt to show just how “competent” the President is. Put it simply, the allegations are that the prototype actually had double steering and that Biden wasn’t really driving it—the guy to his left was, the Secret Service agent. That is based on screencaps of the agent holding onto something to the dashboard that might look like a steering wheel but is more likely either some type of camera equipment or the dashboard itself.

Ford CEO Jim Farley tells the Detroit Free Press that it was really the President at the wheel and confirms that they were blindsided by the request to go for a test drive. The possibility had been discussed before, but it had also been discarded. Then, during the President’s speech, which is also when he “joked” about wanting to go for a drive, White House officials approached Farley to make it happen.

Farley had to make a choice, and he made the right one, if only considering the amount of media attention the event got. He got a working prototype of the F-150 Lightning out on the track and then joined the 50 or so reporters and Secret Service agents. Training for Biden included verbal tips like “Just mash the throttle. The thing is super fast. Mr. President, give it full throttle. It's really fun to drive.”

For how unprepared Farley and everyone at Ford admittedly were, no one was nervous about letting the most important man in the United States at the wheel of a prototype car he’d never driven before. “I was not nervous,” Farley says for the same media outlet. “I think he has lots of people to make sure everything will be fine.”

As expected, Farley doesn’t mention the conspiracy that the whole test drive was a stunt.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories