US President Joe Biden driving a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 at the Detroit Auto Show on September 14, 2022 (AFP/Mandel NGAN)
Joe Biden, a big car lover, pleaded for the transition to electric at the opening of the Detroit show, which comes back to life after two editions canceled because of the Covid-19 with manufacturers presenting more and more non-polluting models alongside their traditional gasoline-powered cars.
“The great American road trip will become completely electric,” said the American president.
All along the highways crossing the United States, “charging stations will be in place and as easy to find as gas stations”, he assured.
The president’s visit shed welcome light on a show that had been sidelined for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event used to take place in January but has been moved to September, a period with better weather and which does not overlap with the major technology show in Las Vegas, which is increasingly attracting companies from the automotive sector. .
The 2022 edition of the Detroit show is less grandiose than the previous ones, with many foreign manufacturers or more recent players, such as Tesla, being absent. And the companies present, which have become accustomed during the pandemic to unveiling their latest models online, did not organize large, glitzy presentations.
Joe Biden did not hide his pleasure, taking the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 before driving an electric Cadillac Lyriq.
“It’s a beautiful car,” he said of the Cadillac, “but I love the Corvette,” whose engine he revved.
“He said he was taking her home,” joked General Motors boss Mary Barra.
Walking the aisles of the show, the president also met with officials from Ford, Stellantis and the main UAW auto union.
– Combustion engines still present –
Even if combustion engines still largely dominate the roads of the United States, the manufacturers present in Detroit have put forward the electric vehicles that they are about to offer in the hope of grabbing Tesla’s shares of a growing market.
The Chevrolet brand has thus promoted the electric versions of the Silverado pickup and that of the Equinox SUV, unveiled last week with a base price of $30,000 to attract a wider clientele.
US President Joe Biden and General Motors boss Mary Barra at the Detroit Auto Show on September 14, 2022 (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)
“People are on the verge of massive adoption of electric vehicles,” Chevrolet Vice President Steve Majoros said. With in particular an increasing number of charging stations, “more and more Americans are ready”.
However, combustion engines are not completely forgotten: Chevrolet also presented a new version of its gasoline-powered Tahoe SUV on Wednesday.
The Jeep brand, part of the Stellantis group, presented a special edition for the 30th anniversary of its Grand Cherokee SUV as well as a plug-in hybrid Jeep.
Ford also unveiled Wednesday the 7th generation of its legendary Mustang born 58 years ago, equipped with an internal combustion engine, enough to confirm the durability of gasoline vehicles.
The company, which has invested in electric cars more than any other company in recent years, defended its choice, saying customers “interested in sports cars still want (an) internal combustion engine”.
Since his arrival at the White House, Joe Biden has initiated several measures intended to facilitate the transition to electricity, such as the 7.5 billion dollars released for the construction of charging stations. He announced Wednesday that the administration would soon disburse the first $900 million.
He also pushed for a major law on semiconductors, components now essential in cars full of electronics, and subsidies for manufacturers and motorists.
US President Joe Biden at the controls of an electric Cadillac Lyriq at the Detroit Auto Show on September 14, 2022 (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)
However, players in the sector have expressed reservations about the new incentives for the purchase of an electric vehicle, subject to specific conditions such as final assembly in North America or the obligation to source raw materials produced in the region. .
But the president has had rather good relations with the manufacturers since he helped them out of a difficult situation after the financial crisis of 2008, when he was vice-president.
And since his arrival at the White House, he has already visited GM and Ford factories.
Builders hope the administration will show flexibility in implementing the new rules.
“The government still has to come up with a lot of guidelines on how they should be applied,” said Chevrolet chief Steve Majoros.
© 2022 AFP
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