A Canadian man has voiced his deep dissatisfaction with his electric Ford F-150 lightning purchase, calling electric vehicles the “biggest scam of modern times.” After encountering broken chargers and other obstacles during a road trip to Chicago, the man abandoned his Ford EV and rented a traditional gas-powered vehicle to complete the trip.
Fox Business reports that Winnipeg resident Dalbir Bala, who had invested in a Ford F150 Lightning EV earlier this year for a whopping $115,000 plus tax, had initially hoped the vehicle would serve both his professional and recreational needs. He believed that owning an EV was synonymous with “responsible citizenship these days.”
DEARBORN, MI – APRIL 26: Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks are shown in production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on April 26, 2022 in Dearborn, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden stops to talk to the media as he drives a Ford F-150 Lightning truck at Ford Dearborn Development Center, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
However, his enthusiasm was short-lived. He was forced to install two $10,000 chargers for the car: one at work and one at home, and then had to spend $6,000 to update his home’s electrical panel in order to fit the charger.
Following a minor accident, the vehicle was stuck at a body shop for six months.”It was in [the] shop for 6 months. I can’t take it to my lake cabin. I cannot take it for off-grid camping. I cannot take for even a road trip,” Bala wrote. “I can only drive in city – biggest scam of modern times.”
The real test of his patience came during a 1,400-mile family road trip to Chicago. Bala recounted the challenges he faced with the EV’s charging infrastructure. Fast charging facilities, which can only refuel EVs to a maximum of 90 percent, are more expensive than gas stations. In one occasion, he spent two hours and $56 charging his car from 10 percent to 90 percent during a stop in Fargo, North Dakota. Additionally, he encountered broken chargers in Albertville and Elk River, both in Minnesota. Describing the ordeal, Bala said, “This sheer helplessness was mind-boggling. My kids and wife were really worried and stressed at this point.”
With no other charging options in sight and the vehicle’s charge dwindling to a mere 12 miles, Bala resorted to having his EV towed to a Ford dealership in Elk River. He then continued his journey in a rented gasoline vehicle.
Reflecting on his experience, Bala emphasized the need for accurate information for potential EV buyers. “People have to make the right choices. I want to tell everybody to read my story,” he urged, adding, “The actual thing they promised is not even close. Not even 50 percent. And once you buy it, you’re stuck with it and you have to carry huge losses to get rid of that. And nobody is there to help you.”
As Breitbart News previously reported, one review of the Ford F-150 Lightning called road trips its “kryptonite.”
But by the time he got to Saginaw, “the Lightning was getting just 60% of estimated range and it was becoming clear to the trip computer that we would not make it to Gaylord,” Payne said, adding that the “281-mile range looked more like 168 miles.”
The system then rerouted Payne to a charging station, but when he arrived, the only two chargers there were already occupied. So he drove to another facility that he knew had four charging stations. When he got there, unfortunately, two were occupied and the other two were being worked on by technicians.
Then, one of the electric vehicle owners said that his charger wasn’t working and went to wait behind the individual who was charging at the sole remaining charging station. So Payne headed back to the original charging station, where he planned on waiting for a charger to become available.
“I arrived in Charlevoix after 6 hours, 40 minutes for what’s normally a stop-free, 4-hour trip by gas-fired pickup,” he concluded. The odyssey led Payne to label the road trip as the electric truck’s “kryptonite.”
Read more at Fox Business here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan