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

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【Summary】A Canadian man and his family were forced to abandon their $115k Ford electric truck during a road trip after charging issues. The man called eco-friendly vehicles "the biggest scam of modern times." The truck had charging troubles in Minnesota, and the family had to finish their trip in a petrol-powered car. The owner had previously experienced delays in getting a minor repair done on the vehicle. He expressed frustration and said he can only use the truck for his daily commute.

FutureCar Staff Aug 12, 2023 6:15 AM PT

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

A Canadian man and his family recently encountered charging troubles with their electric truck, resulting in them having to switch to a petrol-powered car to complete their road trip. This experience led the man, Dalbir Bala, to criticize eco-friendly vehicles as "the biggest scam of modern times."

Bala, who resides in Manitoba, Canada, was traveling from his home to Chicago in his six-month-old 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat with an extended-range battery. He had purchased the vehicle in January for $115,000 (around £90600), excluding tax. His wife and three kids joined him for the trip, starting with a fully-charged battery and three planned stops to recharge along the way.

The first charging stop went smoothly, but their troubles began in Albertville, Minnesota, where they encountered a "faulty connection" error message from the fast charger. They proceeded to Elk River, which was about 15 minutes away, only to find that the charger there also didn't work. Faced with no other option, the family had to abandon their electric truck in Minnesota on July 27.

"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 continue their journey to Chicago.

The cause of the charging issue remains unknown, as other customers successfully charged their electric vehicles at both stations on the same 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.

Bala had purchased the Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat to offset his fuel costs, which had reached up to $1.5K per month. He had been impressed with the new technology and had installed chargers at his office and home, as well as upgrading his domestic electric panel.

However, Bala's negative experience has left him disillusioned with electric vehicles. He now only uses the truck for his daily commute and feels restricted in its usage. He stated, "I can't take it to my lake cabin. I cannot take it for off-grid camping. I cannot take it for even a road trip. I can only drive it in the city – the biggest scam of modern times."

In response to the situation, Megan Joakim of Ford of Canada emphasized that the actual driving range of electric vehicles can vary depending on various factors. 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, President of the Manitoba Electric Vehicle Association, mentioned instances where users had to contact charger operators to reset the chargers in similar situations.

Bala believes that the government needs to provide consumers with accurate information about electric vehicles to avoid such issues in the future.