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. This experience has caused the man, Dalbir Bala, to express his frustration and call eco-friendly vehicles 'the biggest scam of modern times'.

Bala, along with his wife and three kids, was traveling from Manitoba, Canada to Chicago in their six-month-old 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat. The vehicle, which had an extended-range battery, was purchased by Bala for $115,000 in January.

The family started their journey with a fully-charged battery and had planned three stops to recharge along the way. However, their problems began in Albertville, Minnesota, where they encountered a 'faulty connection' error message from the fast charger. The charger in Elk River, their next stop, also failed to work.

Faced with no other option, Bala and his family had to abandon their electric truck in Minnesota on July 27. They were stranded, hungry, and disappointed with the situation. With only 15 kilometers of battery life remaining, they had the truck towed to a local Ford dealership and rented a Toyota 4Runner to reach Chicago.

The cause of the charging issue 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 further added to his frustration.

Bala had purchased the electric truck to offset his fuel costs, which had become quite high. He was impressed by the new technology and had even installed chargers at his office and home, as well as upgraded his electric panel.

However, due to this negative experience, Bala now only uses the electric truck for his daily commute. He feels that he cannot rely on it for longer trips, off-grid camping, or visits to his lake cabin. He believes that electric vehicles are a scam and expressed his disappointment in the lack of information provided to consumers by the government.

In response to the incident, Ford of Canada stated that the actual driving range of electric vehicles can vary depending on various factors. They also mentioned the ongoing development of public charging infrastructure as electric vehicle sales continue to 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, mentioned that he has heard of similar situations where customers had to contact charger operators to reset the chargers. He believes that more support and information should be provided to consumers in such cases.

FutureCar Staff