Forced to Abandon $115k Ford Electric Truck on Family Road Trip

author: FutureCar Staff    

A Canadian man and his family recently encountered charging troubles with their electric truck, leading them to finish 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. The vehicle, which had an extended-range battery, was purchased for $115,000 in January. Bala's wife and three children joined him for the trip, and they began with a fully-charged battery and planned stops to recharge along the way.

The first leg of their journey went smoothly, but their problems started in Albertville, Minnesota when Bala received a 'faulty connection' error message from a fast charger. They continued to Elk River, which was about 15 minutes away, but the charger there also didn't work. Frustrated and stranded, Bala and his family had to abandon their electric truck in Minnesota on July 27th.

"It was really a nightmare frustration for us," Bala expressed to CBC News. With only 15 kilometers of battery life remaining, the truck was towed to a local Ford dealership, and the family rented a Toyota 4Runner to reach their destination in Chicago.

The cause of the charging issues remains unknown, as other customers successfully charged their electric vehicles at both stations that day. Bala had previously experienced delays in getting his truck repaired after a minor accident, which he claims required "light assembly" on the front bumper and took six months to fix. He bought the Ford F-150 Lightning to offset his fuel costs, which had reached up to $1.5K per month.

Bala installed charging stations at his office and home and even upgraded his domestic electric panel. However, he now only uses the electric truck for his daily commute, as he cannot rely on it for longer trips or off-grid camping. He expressed his frustration, calling eco-friendly vehicles "the biggest scam of modern times."

In response to the situation, Megan Joakim of Ford of Canada stated that the actual driving range of electric and gas vehicles varies depending on conditions and maintenance. Ford claims to have a charging network that includes 10,000 fast chargers, along with 12,000 Tesla superchargers and 4,000 fast chargers at dealerships. James Hart, President of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association, mentioned that some situations require the charger company to reset the chargers. Bala believes that the government should provide consumers with accurate information about electric vehicles.

FutureCar Staff