Yeah... that's not an EV, Joe.
PotusTwitterPresident Joe Biden paid a visit to the Detroit Auto Show floor Wednesday, taking the time to see the latest from America’s automakers up close. Among the most interesting parts of his stroll was when he got behind the wheel of the new 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, started it, and gave it some revs. Later that day Biden’s official Twitter account published a tweet talking about the electric vehicles he saw firsthand that gave him “so many reasons to be optimistic about our future,” alongside a picture of the Z06. Unsurprisingly, car Twitter went mad.
You all know I’m a car guy.
Today I visited the Detroit Auto Show and saw firsthand the electric vehicles that give me so many reasons to be optimistic about our future. pic.twitter.com/Zlddr6B3RM— President Biden (@POTUS) September 14, 2022
In case you’re unaware, the Corvette Z06 is not an electric vehicle. It’s far from one, actually. Behind the cabin sits a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank V-8 that can rev all the way to 8600 rpm while making 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Unlike an electric car, it burns gasoline and makes a wonderful noise. Here are just a selection of reactions from the internet so far on the mix-up:
That is definitely not an electric vehicle … yet, according to @chevrolet. https://t.co/0yQPa2M1Wk
— Michael Wayland (@MikeWayland) September 15, 2022
Biden wanted to see the electric vehicles he claims yet all he seems to look at is the 670 horsepower V8 powered corvette. https://t.co/1HkxWGnzU6
— N_noah (@Angry_Time_Lord) September 14, 2022
Joe Biden: Alright folks, talk to me about some electric cars.
Also Joe Biden: Holy shit have you seen that yellow Corvette?!? https://t.co/5X4QfPWGvM pic.twitter.com/VUkfHHDHuy— William Martin (@wsmartin218) September 14, 2022
This incident aside, Biden did indeed check out a handful of electric cars on the show floor, and showed some optimism about our EV future. We also have a strong feeling that he wasn’t the person who crafted this tweet. Rather, it was likely a social media manager on Biden’s team who isn’t as familiar with Corvettes as he is. Whoever built this tweet incorrectly identified the Corvette as electric in the photo’s description:
POTUSTwitter
We can understand this might be a bit confusing to some. Chevy announced in April it would build an all-electric Corvette, after all, so whoever crafted this tweet could’ve assumed this Z06 was the EV ‘Vette in question. Alas, this wasn’t the case. And the internet came out in force to make sure they knew.
wrong photo https://t.co/5RJG5hTWR1
— Dana “Paid Leave for All” Hull 👩🏻💻 (@danahull) September 14, 2022
Ummmm… someone should tell him… https://t.co/9fTZ2m3uYh
— BlackPanthaa’s 🧠 (@BlackPanthaaYT) September 15, 2022
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: Car Internet Roasts Biden For Posing Next to Corvette Z06 For EV Tweet