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Electric Beast: Biden may electrify the presidential limo

Aides say it's "an objective" for the Oval Office

Matthew Guy
May 21, 2021  •  May 21, 2021  •  1 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Joe Biden's Inauguration As 46th President Of The U.S. Is Celebrated With Parade In Washington, D.C.
Photo by Mark Makela /Getty

There are no shortage of rumours and conjecture about the current presidential limousine, colloquially known as The Beast. Does it really weigh 15,000 pounds? Is it actually based on a commercial truck chassis? Now we can add one more bit of conjecture to the conversation: batteries.

Following his visit to the Ford plant in Michigan where he spoke in front of (and drove) the new F-150 Lightning, journalists asked President Biden’s press secretary if there were any plans to electrify The Beast. According to those in the know, that very topic has actually been given at least a passing mention in official conversation.

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The revelation that Biden potentially wants to add some green cred to the presidential limousine shouldn’t be surprising. The current administration is in the throes of pitching a US$174 million EV plan, one that will establish incentive programs to encourage both local governments and the private sector to build a half-million EV chargers over the next decade. Also on the table are consumer rebates and a push to manufacture more batteries in America rather than rely on products from other countries.

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Of course, there’s a big difference between electrification and total EV. The term can be used in broad strokes to describe just about any vehicle with a hybrid or hybrid-like powertrain, including machines like plug-in electric hybrids that are primarily powered by a gasoline engine under most driving conditions. This is the likely scenario for The Beast, given that the Secret Service probably doesn’t want to twiddle their thumbs all day at charging stations.

Still, given the ties with General Motors and the company’s penchant for creative solutions when it comes to presidential limos, no one should be surprised when the next one shows up packing a few Ultium batteries.

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