$115k Ford electric truck ditched during family road trip

author: FutureCar Staff    

A Canadian man and his family recently encountered charging troubles with their electric truck, which led them to abandon the vehicle and complete their road trip in a petrol-powered car. The man, Dalbir Bala, was traveling from Manitoba, Canada to Chicago in his six-month old 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat with an extended-range battery. The vehicle, which cost him $115,000, had been purchased earlier this year. Bala's wife and three kids joined him for the trip, and they started with a fully-charged battery and planned stops for recharging.

The first stop went smoothly, but their problems began in Albertville, Minnesota, where they encountered a 'faulty connection' error message from the fast charger. They continued to Elk River, but the charger there also didn't work. Frustrated and stuck with only 15 kilometers of battery left, the family had to leave the electric truck behind in Minnesota and rent a Toyota 4Runner to reach their destination in Chicago.

Bala expressed his frustration, describing the situation as a "nightmare" and feeling hungry and heartbroken. It remains unclear why their truck wouldn't charge, as other customers were able to successfully charge their electric vehicles at the same stations that day. Bala had previously experienced delays in getting a minor bumper repair for the vehicle, which took six months to fix.

Bala had bought the electric truck to offset his fuel costs, which had reached up to $1.5K per month. He had installed chargers at his office and home and upgraded his domestic electric panel. However, he now feels limited in using the electric truck, stating that he can only drive it in the city and considers eco-friendly vehicles to be "the biggest scam of modern times."

In response to the incident, Ford of Canada stated that the actual driving range of electric vehicles can vary depending on various factors, including external conditions, vehicle use, and maintenance. They also mentioned the development of public charging infrastructure as electric vehicle sales grow. Ford claims to have a charging network that includes 10,000 fast chargers, along with 12,000 Tesla superchargers and an additional 4,000 fast chargers at dealerships.

James Hart, the President of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association, acknowledged similar situations where customers had to contact the charger operators to reset the chargers. Bala believes that the government should provide consumers with accurate information regarding electric vehicles. Despite the challenges faced, Bala continues to use his electric truck for his daily commute.

FutureCar Staff