Sunday, August 13, 2023 9:35:40 AM
August 11, 2023
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/man-forced-ditch-115k-ford-ev-truck-family-road-trip-chicago-biggest-scam-modern-times
Dalbir Bala, who lives in the Winnipeg area, bought a Ford F-150 Lightning EV in January for $115,000 Canadian dollars (around $85,000 U.S. dollars), plus tax. Ford said the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on the vehicle is $77,495 U.S. dollars.
He told FOX Business he needed the vehicle for his work, but also wanted something suitable for recreational activities such as driving to his cabin or going fishing. He also wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle as owning one is "responsible citizenship these days."
But Bala was quickly hit with the reality of owning and operating an EV soon after the purchase. The vehicle compelled him to install two chargers – one at work and one at home – for $10,000. To accommodate the charger, he had to upgrade his home’s electric panel for $6,000.
In all, Bala spent more than $130,000 – plus tax.
Not long after the purchase, Bala got into a minor accident which, he said, required "light assembly" on the front bumper. Bala took the vehicle to the body shop and did not get it back for six months. He said no one from Ford answered his email or phone calls for help.
The limitations of the EV truck became even more apparent when Bala embarked on a chaotic 1,400-mile road trip to Chicago.
Fast charging stations – which only charge EV’s up to 90% – cost more than gas for the same mileage. On the family’s first stop in Fargo, North Dakota, it took two hours and $56 to charge his vehicle from 10% to 90%. The charge was good for another 215 miles.
On the second stop, in Albertville, Minnesota, the free charger was faulty and the phone number on the charging station was of no help, he said. The family drove to another charging station in Elk River, Minnesota, but the charger was faulty there as well.
"This sheer helplessness was mind-boggling," Bala wrote in an online post. "My kids and wife were really worried and stressed at this point."
There were no other fast charging stations within range of Elk River and his vehicle only had 12 miles left.
"By now it was late afternoon. We were really stuck, hungry, and heartbroken," Bala said.
Bala ultimately had the vehicle towed to a Ford dealership in Elk River and rented a regular gasoline-powered vehicle to complete the family’s trip to Chicago. The family picked up the F-150 Lightning on their way back to Winnipeg.
"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."
Bala told FOX Business he believes the government needs to do more to "provide consumers with the right information."
"People have to make the right choices. I want to tell everybody to read my story," he said. "Do your research before even thinking about it and make a wiser choice."
"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, in a statement to FOX Business, noted that driving ranges can be impacted by weather and geography, but also acknowledged some of the challenges facing the industry.
"This customer's experience highlights the urgent need to rapidly improve access to public charging across the US and Canada. 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."
GM also announced a deal with Tesla Supercharger stations starting early next year with the use of an adapter plug, giving them access to 12,000-plus chargers.
Then, in 2025, GM will start integrating Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connecter design in GM's EV vehicles so customers can plug into a Supercharger without needing an adapter.
Recent EVGO News
- EVgo Expands Leadership Team with Seasoned Industry Talent • Business Wire • 07/25/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo to Report Second Quarter 2024 Results on August 1, 2024 • Business Wire • 07/24/2024 09:51:00 PM
- EVgo and Regency Centers Open Newest Fast Charging Station in Longstanding Partnership, Expanding Footprint to More Than 120 Stalls Across U.S. • Business Wire • 06/26/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo Names Keith Hutchison as Company’s First Chief People Officer • Business Wire • 06/20/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo Recognizes Massive Rideshare Growth as Commercial Throughput More Than Tripled Year over Year in Q1 • Business Wire • 06/13/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Toyota Announces First Communities to Receive DC Fast Chargers Through 'Empact' Vision • PR Newswire (US) • 05/29/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo Celebrates More Than 1 Million Customer Accounts Across the U.S. as EV Adoption Continues to Grow • Business Wire • 05/21/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Motiv Names Scott Griffith as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member • GlobeNewswire Inc. • 05/16/2024 12:00:00 PM
- EVgo Doubles Down on Commitment to Begin NACS Deployments in 2024 • Business Wire • 05/14/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo Inc. Reports Record First Quarter 2024 Results • Business Wire • 05/07/2024 11:05:00 AM
- EVgo Expansion in Los Angeles Recognized with 1st Place Leadership Award by Largest Municipal Utility in the Nation • Business Wire • 05/01/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo to Report First Quarter 2024 Results on May 7, 2024 • Business Wire • 04/24/2024 12:04:00 PM
- EVgo Expands Autocharge+ to More Than 50 Electric Vehicle Models • Business Wire • 04/09/2024 11:00:00 AM
- EVgo Welcomes Scott Griffith to Board of Directors • Business Wire • 04/03/2024 11:30:00 PM
- EVgo to Host Financial Modeling Webinar on April 4, 2024 • Business Wire • 04/01/2024 09:00:00 PM
- SLB Capital Advisors Advises on Sale Leasebacks For Leading EV Fast Charging Solutions Provider EVgo • PR Newswire (US) • 03/26/2024 03:30:00 PM
- EVgo Opens First Public Fast Charging Site with Innovative Prefabrication Approach • Business Wire • 03/21/2024 11:00:00 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/08/2024 02:48:18 AM
- Form 10-K - Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/06/2024 09:15:58 PM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/06/2024 09:05:38 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 03/06/2024 12:16:02 PM
- EVgo Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results • Business Wire • 03/06/2024 12:00:00 PM
- U.S. Stock Futures Gain Ahead of Economic Insights; Oil Prices Climb • IH Market News • 03/06/2024 11:02:03 AM
- EVgo to Report Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results on March 6, 2024 • Business Wire • 02/21/2024 12:00:00 PM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/06/2024 01:03:30 AM
Glidelogic Corp. Announces Revolutionary AI-Generated Content Copyright Protection Solution • GDLG • Jul 26, 2024 12:30 PM
Southern Silver Files NI43-101 Technical Report for its Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Cerro Las Minitas Project • SSV • Jul 25, 2024 8:00 AM
Greenlite Ventures Completes Agreement with No Limit Technology • GRNL • Jul 19, 2024 10:00 AM
VAYK Expects Revenue from First Airbnb Property Starting from August • VAYK • Jul 18, 2024 9:00 AM
North Bay Resources Acquires Mt. Vernon Gold Mine, Sierra County, California, with Assays up to 4.8 oz. Au per Ton • NBRI • Jul 18, 2024 9:00 AM
Nightfood Holdings Signs Letter of Intent for All-Stock Acquisition of CarryOutSupplies.com • NGTF • Jul 17, 2024 1:00 PM