Ford CEO drives his own electric truck and finds out why he doesn’t like it

Ford CEO Jim Farley admitted that he had an abrupt reality check when he tried to take a cross-country road trip in the electric Ford F-150, the spearhead of Ford’s EV powertrain, instead of taking chauffeured limousines and jets. Farley did something almost unbelievable for a CEO of a major company: he tried his own product…

“Charging was pretty challenging,” Farley said in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It was a great examination of the challenges our customers face, the importance of fast charging, and what we’ll need to do to improve the charging experience.”

In California, Farley said he experienced slow charging times. Using a low-speed charger, it took about 40 minutes to charge the F-150 electric’s battery to 40 percent.

According to Ford, the company said it has partnered with Telsa to allow Ford customers to use Tesla’s more than 12,000 Superchargers next year. Other electric vehicles have also announced partnerships with Tesla. On Aug. 7, Farley wrote in a LinkedIn post, “The long journey with the electric truck is an act of pioneering, not because it is difficult or dangerous, but because it is a new way to experience America.” “The shift from gas stations to charging stations requires new behaviors and opens up new possibilities.”

Another charging problem
The news comes after a Canadian man told of being forced to abandon his Ford electric vehicle after having problems charging it during a trip. Dalbir Bala of La Salle, Manitoba, told of abandoning his Lightning in Minnesota last month after he failed to charge the battery at two different stations.

He then continued his journey in a rented gasoline vehicle. His wife and three children joined him for the trip to Wisconsin and Chicago, with three scheduled stops to recharge the battery during the journey.

“It was really a frustrating nightmare for us,” Bala told CBC News.

The first stop was in Fargo, North Dakota, about 350 kilometers south of Winnipeg. He paid $56 to charge his vehicle’s battery from 10 percent to 90 percent of capacity.

The problems began on the next stop in Albertville, Minnesota, when she received a “faulty connection” message in her truck after connecting the charger. He called the number on the charger to ask for assistance, but received no response.

“It has been in the shop for 6 months. I can’t take it to my lake house. I can’t take it camping. I can’t even use it to travel long distances,” he added. “I can only drive in the city, the biggest scam of modern times.”

In response, Ford Motor Co. told media outlets that it is “looking into the case of this individual customer.” No other details were provided.

“This customer’s experience highlights the urgent need to rapidly improve access to public charging in the United States and Canada,” Ford’s statement read. “EV-certified Ford dealers will install public-facing DC fast chargers at their dealerships by early 2024, providing alternative charging options to those available today.” In this way, Ford will set up a network of its own fast chargers by relying on dealers and chreating new business.

Ford was also the first in the industry to gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers for Ford drivers.”

Other issues

An American Automobile Association (AAA) report released in June found that the vehicle’s battery life is significantly reduced when carrying a heavy load, possibly jeopardizing the vehicle’s use as a work truck. This includes transporting items such as tools, toolboxes, equipment and other items.

“In the case of battery-electric pickup trucks used as work vehicles, permanent loads (such as tool racks, tool boxes and equipment trays built into the vehicle) will reduce the range at all times, even without additional loads,” AAA said.

AAA noted that potential buyers should take note of the type of driving they will do before making the purchase, adding that electric vehicles are best suited for urban driving.

“Our tests revealed a significant reduction in range, but it is important to note that the Lightning was charged nearly to full capacity,” Greg Brannon, director of AAA’s automotive engineering unit, said in a press release. “Most buyers will likely use their Lightning with a lighter load, resulting in a much smaller reduction in range.”

The problem is that trucks are really bought for their hauling capabilities. If these are so negative for the qualities of the vehicle, then this loses meaning.

Reduced prices

Last month, meanwhile, Ford reduced prices for the F-150 Lightning, including a 17 percent cut for the base model, aiming to increase its share of an EV market dominated by Tesla.

The Detroit automaker, which had raised prices for the Lightning earlier this year, said it was able to cut prices due to improvements in scale and battery raw material costs.

The move comes amid a price war started by Tesla a few months ago that has seen electric vehicles from previous automakers pile up at dealerships because of slowing sales.

“The Ford Lightning is a good vehicle, just a bit expensive, especially given the high interest rates these days for any type of loan,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a post on X last month.

But cutting margins will cause margins to be greatly reduced, which generates losses that call into question the automaker’s entire investment process.