Winnipeg family abandons EV truck halfway to Chicago after faulty charging stations leave them stranded

Post Millennial ^ | Aug 12, 2023 | Sara Higdon

[Red Badger]

The owner of a 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat electronic vehicle (EV), Dalbir Bala, is claiming that EVs are the "Biggest Scam of modern times" after he was forced to abandon his truck on a family road trip from his home in Winnipeg to Chicago because of faulty charging stations.

In a letter posted on Facebook, Bala described how he paid $115,000 on the Truck in addition to thousands of dollars more installing chargers, explaining the cost is "not justified." He said, "EVs are only good for limited urban use, as a second car. but expensive second car..!"

He went on to say that there is a "lack of adequate charging infrastructure for EVs" and that free stations take up to 12 hours to charge, but the cost of using an L1 Fast charging station is higher than gas. He also noted that you can't trust them to be reliable enough to be taken on recreational trips.

In describing his road trip to Chicago, it took two hours for his truck to charge at the first stop and cost $56. On the second stop, both charging stations were broken. He ultimately decided to have the truck towed to the local dealership and rented a gas-powered car to finish the trip.

Bala told Fox Business that he purchased an EV because owning one is "responsible citizenship these days," and that he purchased a truck because he wanted to be able to use it for recreational activities.

He added that the government needs to do more to "provide consumers with the right information." Bala added, "People have to make the right choices. I want to tell everybody to read my story."

"Do your research before even thinking about it and make a wiser choice," he said. "The actual thing they promised is not even close. Not even 50%. 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."

Ford told the outlet, "This customer's experience highlights the urgent need to rapidly improve access to public charging across the US and Canada." It continued, "Ford's EV-certified dealers will install public-facing DC fast chargers at their dealerships by early 2024, providing alternative charging options to those available today. Ford was also the first in the industry to gain access to over 12,000 Tesla Superchargers for Ford drivers."

Last month, Ford Motor Company's second-quarter financial results reveal that the company is projected to lose $4.5 billion on its Model E division in 2023. At the time, Ford CEO Jim Farley said, "The near-term pace of EV adoption will be a little slower than expected, which is going to benefit early movers like Ford."

He added, "We’re making smart investments in capabilities and capacity around the world; and, while others are trying to catch up, we have clean-sheet, next-generation products in advanced development that will blow people away."

[IAGeezer912]

I rented a Toyota Siena. Drove 2000 miles and got 50mpg with no issues. Hybrid is the way to go.

[bert]

-—Hybrid is the way to go.-—

When we look into the future and try to make guesses, the best guesses include both all electric and hybrid automobiles.

As electric vehicles evolve, there may be more and more of them as they prove reliable and cost effective.

In a parallel scenario, hybrid automobiles that have internal combustion engines are already reliable and cost effective. For many, they serve the requirement better and cheaper than a pure EV.

For the foreseeable future, most automobiles will be either Electric or internal combustion hybrids

[SIDENET]

Actually a 115 grand virtual signal.

I can't even imagine spending that much money on a vehicle, much less some EV. I paid 105K for my current house.

I have an old retired Crown Vic police car that I could drive from coast to coast at a moment's notice. It's the most reliable car I've ever owned, and it cost me all of $1700 at an auction.