President Biden takes GMC Hummer EV for spin as GM kicks off production
General Motors' Factory Zero is ready to build the first electric Hummers, and the commander in chief was on hand at opening celebrations to take the mammoth EV out.
As President Joe Biden hits the road to sell the successes embedded in the recently signed Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, he received the opportunity for a special test drive. On Wednesday, the president was present for GM's opening celebrations at the newly revamped Factory Zero in Detroit, Michigan and helped the automaker celebrate its new EV factory by taking a GMC Hummer EV pickup for a spin. C-SPAN even captured video of the president seemingly having a good time launching the Hummer EV pickup from a standstill.
It's Biden's second high-profile visit to an auto manufacturing plant in 2021 as he continues to push policies that will help US automakers and the auto industry pivot to electric vehicles. Previously, the president gave remarks and test drove a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup earlier this year. During a brief speech in Detroit, Biden said the new infrastructure deal would help the US once again gain an upper hand with the massive investment.
Production is up and running.
"China and the rest of the world are catching up. We're about to turn that around in a big, big way," Biden said. The most crucial parts of the infrastructure deal with regard to EVs are billions earmarked to modernize the nationwide electrical grid and implement a network of EV chargers. Biden's social spending agenda, known as the Build Back Better plan, also includes a massive overhaul to EV tax credits -- but remains in legislative limbo. Those credits could provide up to $12,500 back for qualifying purchases of US-made and union-assembled electric vehicles. The Biden administration has also announced plans to strive for 50% of all new vehicles sold by 2030 to feature a battery-electric powertrain.
Biden's visit to Factory Zero comes after GM invested $2.2 billion to retool the facility once known as the Detroit-Hamtramck production plant where the Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac CT6 and more once rolled down the lines. Now, Factory Zero will exclusively build EVs; the Hummer EV pickup is the first vehicle to enter production at the facility. A Hummer EV SUV, Chevy Silverado EV and Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle will also soon start rolling out from Factory Zero. GM has said it aspires to only sell zero-emissions vehicles by 2035.
