Ford CEO Jim Farley admits electric F-150 Lightning will ‘have to improve’ after he waited 40 MINUTES to get the battery up to 40% in $50,000 truck

Ford’s boss underwent a “reality check” his customers already knew when he spent the better part of an hour waiting for his $50,000 flagship to charge.

CEO Jim Farley set off on a road trip along Route 66 to demonstrate the company’s cutting-edge electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck.

Posting regular updates Twitter and LinkedIn, he went from Palo Alto, California to Las Vegas, but admitted it was an uphill battle.

“I stopped at one of the most popular charging stations in the country, I-5 in Coalinga, and a low-speed charger took me about 40 minutes to get to 40 percent,” he told his followers.

“It was a really good reality check of what our customers are going through and the importance of fast charging and what we need to do to improve the charging experience.”

Ford received 200,000 pre-orders for the truck when it was unveiled in May 2021 in what the company described as a “Model T moment for the 21st century.”

With a range of up to 520 kilometers on a single charge, it became the cornerstone of the company’s aim to produce 2 million electric vehicles by 2026.

But with a $50,000 price tag, it’s $15,000 more expensive than the petrol version and leaves customers at the mercy of long charging times.

Only 15 percent of charging points enable fast charging, according to the latest figures from the United States Department of Energyalthough last month the government promised another 30,000 by 2032.

Some early adopters have bought home charging stations, but the popular JuiceBox 40 costs about $650, and the ChargePoint Home Flex about $750, with setup costs adding up to $6,000 to the bill.

President Biden is pushing for two-thirds of new vehicle sales to be electric by 2032, but consumers have been slow to heed the call, as Ford sold just 6,280 electric vehicles in July, compared to 155,912 with an internal combustion engine.

Lauren Fix, analyst at the Car Coach, said: ‘A lack of charging infrastructure is a major negative factor and consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated.

“Charging stations are limited, very few fast chargers are available and many of the accessible ones don’t work.

The company touted its electric F150 Lightning as a ‘Model T moment for the 21st century’

Get your photos: Farley and his son at the start of his road trip on the iconic highway

Farley visited garages and dealers during his journey, including a centuries-old family business

But he had to get up at one stop at 3 a.m. to make sure he had enough power for a day’s riding

“Really hot and really cold temperatures also shorten battery life – especially if you’re using climate control – and can shorten battery life by a third.”

When he got back on the road, Mr. Farley had to refuel again later in the day. He had an “amazing experience” with a 350 kW charger at a stop in Baker, California.

“It’s kind of exciting to get all these fast electrons into the battery because we’ve only had the slow chargers, so this is very exciting,” he said.

“It really highlighted the difference that beautiful stations and fast charging can make to the overall EV experience.”