It's been a dramatic few days if you've been following the US Presidential Elections. After a long stand-off, democratic candidate Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., was elected as the 46th President of the United States on November 7, beating incumbent US President Donald Trump. Joe Biden managed to secure more than the required 270 of 538 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. However, this isn't a story about American politics. We are here to tell you that the 46th President of the USA is also a petrolhead and loves his cars.
Also Read: Trump Takes Credit For Obama's EV Tax Relief In First Debate With Biden
In fact, President-elect Biden was born and brought up in and around cars. Joe Biden's father managed car dealerships in Delaware for 34 years and this largely included Chrysler cars, while also running operations for Ford for a brief period,
An ardent fan of convertibles, Biden's first car was the 1951 Studebaker | Photo Credit: Classic.com
"I remember my senior prom, being able to take a 7,000-mile Chrysler 300D off the lot," Biden was quoted in one of his early interviews as different cars graced the garage of the Bidens owing to his nature of work. His first car though was the 1951 Studebaker, which was followed by a 1952 Plymouth Convertible that was finished in candy-apple red with a split windshield. He also had a 1956 Chevrolet in college and a Mercedes-Benz 190SL with over 100,000 miles (1.6 lakh km) and came with a Solex carburettor.
Biden also owned a Mercedes-Benz 190SL. The car had over 1.6 lakh km on the odometer when he bought one
However, his most prized possession is his 1967 Chevrolet Corvette finished in Goodwood-green and powered by a 327 cubic-inch V8 motor that makes about 350 horses. It also gets a rear-axle ratio. The convertible was a wedding gift to Biden from his father in the August of 1967 and has stayed with him even today. The engine was rebuilt in the more latter half of the century and comes with tan brown leather interior to compliment that lovely exterior shade.
undefinedThere's been a lot of talk about my vetting process lately. Here's an inside look: pic.twitter.com/tFRKJOE3hi
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 5, 2020
Prior to being elected President, Joe Biden served as the Vice President under the Obama administration and travelled in a bullet-proof Cadillac limousine. As a rule, the Secret Service, the agency entrusted with the protection of the state heads in the US, does not allow the President and the Vice President to drive cars during their term in the office, and six months after. As the US President, he will have to once again follow that rule and will be ferried in the armoured Cadillac, named 'The Beast.'
As the 46th President of the United States of America, Joe Biden will be using the armoured Cadillac, named 'The Beast'
It helps then that a petrolhead president will be leading one of the most important automotive industries in the world. Under the new Biden administration, the sector is expecting some major changes in the form legislation, policies and more. Biden and his Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are strong supporters of climate change and the administration is expected to take big leaps for the progress of electric cars and electric mobility in the US. Clean energy and green vehicles will remain one of the major talking points over the next four years.
Electric mobility is expected to see a big push under the Biden administration with more focus towards clean energy and addressing climate change concerns
The country is also expected to see the extension of the federal EV tax credit, which is similar to India's FAME II subsidy, but comes with a 600,000 vehicle manufacturer cap. Instead, Biden could establish a $250,000 household-income limit for those wanting to claim credit, allowing for faster adoption of electric vehicles. In addition, the Biden administration is likely to accelerate conversion of public vehicle fleet to all-electric. Focus will also be needed towards clean energy and building an EV charging infrastructure, particularly in the rural parts of America.
