Ford CEO Learns What Happens When Woke Meets The Road

Ford CEO Jim Farley learned the hard way that going woke simply does not pay, especially when it comes to the road, when he took a cross-country road trip in the automobile maker’s electric pickup truck. It didn’t take long for Farley to get a brutal “reality check” about what life is really like when you drive a woke electric vehicle.

Farley’s Woke Road Trip Fail

No surprise charging can be a challenge, but still learning a lot seeing firsthand the issues our customers face. This is why we’re working w/ @Tesla to provide @Ford drivers access to +12,000 superchargers & our EV certified dealers are installing fast chargers at their… pic.twitter.com/fES15o9orT

— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 13, 2023

Farley took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to post a video in which he admitted that he was forced to wait forty minutes to charge his electric vehicle up to just forty percent.

“I stopped at one of the most popular charging sites in the country, I-5 in Coalinga, and a low speed charger took me about 40 minutes to get 40 per cent,” Farley said. “It was a really good reality check of what our customers go through and the importance of fast charging and what we’re going to have to do to improve the charging experience.”

Farley had to stop later that same day to charge up once again at a 350kw charger at a stop in Baker, California. At another stop, Farley had to wake up at 3am, just to make sure he would be charged up enough for another full day of driving.

On my way through LA, I was lucky to be with @TheRock when he met with the awesome team at @galpinautosport @galpinford. They work so hard, getting their hands dirty to serve our @Ford customers. pic.twitter.com/7PQvJeJXDm

— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 14, 2023

Related: Forcing Consumers to Purchase Electric Vehicles: A New Low for the Biden Administration

F-150 Lightning 

Fox Business reported that Farley took this road trip in the F-150 Lightning, which is Ford’s latest venture in the world of electric vehicles. Farley decided to embark on this road trip on Route 66 from Palo Alto, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada in the hopes of learning more about the EV experience. Before taking to the road, Farley said that he was excited to use this trip to “see researchers, businesses, dealers, salespeople, EV conversion shops, EV drivers and communities.”

After unveiling the F-150 Lightning back in May of 2021, Ford received 200,000 advance orders for the truck in what the company branded as the “Model T moment for the 21st Century.” This is all part of Ford’s pledge to produce 2million electric vehicles by 2026, according to Daily Mail.

However, the F-150 Lightning carries a price tag of $50,000, making it $15,000 more expensive than the version of it that is fueled by gasoline. Long recharging times are a major issue as well, given the fact that the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Energy state that only 15 per cent of charging points across the country allow for rapid charging.

Ford, $F, set to lose $4.5 billion on electric vehicles this year, per FOX.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) August 21, 2023

Related: Cruz Mocks Biden Admin for Pushing All Electric Military Vehicles: Hopefully Our Enemies Will Be Nice Enough to Install Charging Stations

‘Consumers Are Increasingly Frustrated’

“A lack of charging infrastructure is a major negative factor and consumers are increasingly frustrated,” explained Car Coach analyst Lauren Fix. “Charging stations are limited, very few fast chargers are available, and many of those that are accessible don’t work.”

“Really warm and really cold temperatures also shorten the battery life – especially when you use climate control – and can reduce the life by a third,” she continued.

Ford CEO Admits He Got a ‘Reality Check’ When Trying Road Trip with Electric Pickup Truck

So he did this … AFTER all these trucks were produced? Should be a wake-up call for shareholders. @jimfarley98

Just install a gas generator in the truck bed.🙄https://t.co/RGKd5VDoXA

— ꧁🍃🌸Ɣ🌸🍃꧂ (@V_its_me_) August 21, 2023

Ford CEO Farley tried to save face as much as she could as he attempted to make his road trip look like a fun experience, but it’s clear that in reality, he was seeing the downside of going woke with electric vehicles in real time. In the end, this all just goes to show once again that going woke simply never pays off.