Kyle Johnson
No Comments

President Biden Visiting Ford Rouge Ahead of F-150 Lightning Reveal

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page
A cropped portrait of 46th President of the United States taken from WhiteHouse.gov
President Joe Biden will get a peek at the all-new Ford F-150 Lightning prior to its May 19 reveal

You’ve only got about eight days and some hours to wait before you can feast your eyes on the all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. But we now know that one somewhat important person will probably get a sneak peek a whole day early: President Joe Biden.


Award-Winning Fords: The all-new Bronco Sport earns the top spot among KBB.com’s Coolest Cars


Ford announced on Tuesday that President Biden will pay a visit to its Rouge site on May 18, getting a preview of the F-150 Lightning before the general public. Wow, Ford. Play favorites much? Guy gets a new job and all of a sudden, he gets special privileges.

Biden visiting Rouge Electric Vehicle Center

Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center Rendering
A rendering of Ford’s $700 million Rouge Electric Vehicle Center
Photo: Ford

Of course, the president won’t just be there to check out a sweet electric truck and mull whether he wants to trade in the 1981 Pontiac Trans Am that he has yet to wash in the White House driveway during his presidency. He’ll likely meet Ford bigwigs like Jim Farley and Bill Ford and discuss possible topics like his $2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan, battery production, and the ongoing microchip shortage. You know, stuff a president does.

President Biden will also get a glimpse at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, which is the result of a $700 million investment from Ford. The plant will begin production on the F-150 Lightning by mid-2022. And you can bet he won’t hesitate to wear a mask when he goes on his tour.

“We’re honored to host President Biden at Ford Motor Company and excited to preview for him the new F-150 Lightning and the exciting technologies that made it possible,” the company said in a statement. “Electrifying America’s best-selling vehicle is a milestone in our country’s transition to cleaner transportation. The F-150 Lightning will be built by UAW workers at an innovative, green plant on the historic Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan.”

Earlier this year, Ford provided 15,000 customized masks for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Jan. 20 inauguration. Shortly after, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford openly praised the Biden administration for rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement.

All-electric F-150 Lightning will be revealed May 19

Ford F-150 Lightning teaser
Ford’s bringing the thunder with the May 19 reveal of the F-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford

Ford announced on Monday that it will officially unveil the first-ever all-electric F-150 on May 19 at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The debut of the F-150 Lightning will be streamed live via Ford’s social media channels and will be made available to view in public areas like Times Square. Ford teases that the F-150 Lightning will be faster than the SVT Lightning that shares its name and promises that the truck will “change the game.”


Fuel-Efficient Fords: Three SUVs makes U.S. News & World Report list of most fuel-efficient vehicles