Teddy Roosevelt was the first US president to ride publicly in a car in Connecticut, and it was an EV
- Teddy Roosevelt was the first US President to ride publicly in a car
- It happened over 100 years ago
- The car was unique for two reasons
Published on May 23, 2025 at 4:23 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 23, 2025 at 4:23 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Teddy Roosevelt was the first US president to ride publicly in a car, in Connecticut, and it was actually an electric car.
It happened a very long time ago.
Roosevelt’s car was followed by a ‘motorcade’ that mostly consisted of bicycles, just a few feet from bystanders and onlookers, which tells us a lot about the difference between back then and now
But there’s also something else about this car that makes it unique.
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Theodore Roosevelt Jr., or Teddy Roosevelt as most people knew him, was the 26th President of the United States.
He served from 1901 to 1909, and right at the start of his tenure, Roosevelt made history after becoming the first US President to ride publicly in a car.
On August 22, 1902, having reached Hartford, Connecticut by train, Roosevelt used an electric car to get from the station to the city center.
The car in question was a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton, and it was exactly as rudimentary as you can imagine.
It had a 20-volt battery that weighed 800 pounds, which was nearly five percent of the whole car’s weight.
The top speed was 13MPH.
Coincidentally, the car was also a convertible, technically, which also makes it unique in a way, as security clearly wasn’t a concern back then.
The US has come a long way since then as far as protecting its leaders goes.
Today, the US President is protected by a motorcade of 50+ vehicles.
The US President travels in the back seat of The Beast, a bulletproof Cadillac, followed by at least one other identical Cadillac to further reduce the potential threat from would-be assailants.
Said Cadillac is destroyed, again for security reasons, when the Secret Service replaces it every eight years.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
