Biden Backs Electric Vehicles at First Detroit Auto Show in Three Years

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US President Joe Biden said American workers were “building the future of the electric vehicle” in a speech at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Wednesday, September 14.

“We’re choosing to build a better America, an America that is confronting the climate crisis, with America’s workers leading the way,” Biden told a crowd during the auto show’s media day.

Local media reported the president test drove an all-electric Cadillac SUV at the event. It was the first Detroit auto show to be held in more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video by Brendan Gutenschwager shows Biden’s address. A second clip shows Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer in an electric Hummer. Credit: Brendan Gutenschwager via Storyful

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[APPLAUSE]

[CHEERING]

JOSEPH BIDEN: Hello, Detroit.

[CHEERING]

You have chairs? I was gonna say, you've been standing a hell of a long time. You don't have any chairs there.

--anymore. Now we're choosing to build a better America, an America that's confronting the climate crisis. With America's workers leading the way, we're rebuilding the economy, a clean energy economy, and we're doing it from the bottom up and the middle out. I'm so tired of trickle down, I can't stand it.

[CHEERING]

When the middle class grows-- when the middle class grows, everybody does well. The poor have a way up and the wealthy do very well. And by the way, don't forget middle class built America and unions built the middle class.

[CHEERING]

GRETCHEN WHITMER: I haven't driven in one.

- [INAUDIBLE]

- I just heard that from a certain president.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: Yeah.

[CHATTER]

Laughing about how he's a car guy and I'm a car person. [INAUDIBLE].

- Yeah, yeah.

- He's got a thing.

- All right, I think they--

GRETCHEN WHITMER: OK.

- --[INAUDIBLE] other angles, other sides. Or are you good? What do you want to do?

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

- Governor, it's so nice to meeting you. [INAUDIBLE].

GRETCHEN WHITMER: Thank you, me too. Thank you.