Ev road trips go horribly wrong, raising concerns over nj gas car ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prominent figures advocating for electric vehicles (EVs), including Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Ford CEO Jim Farley, and New York Times reporter David Gelles, have encountered unanticipated difficulties during recent road trips. These experiences have inadvertently highlighted existing issues such as inadequate charging infrastructure and battery performance.

Those experiments are making people here in New Jersey feel a bit uncomfortable over a proposed ban on gas car sales by the year 2035.

Granholm set out on a four-day journey through the Southeast in July to endorse the use of electric vehicles and their role in job creation. Despite the promotional angle, the trip met multiple challenges linked to EV charging. Granholm’s vehicle had a hardware issue that complicated the charging process. In an effort to secure a spot at a charging station, one of her staffers used a gas-powered vehicle to reserve a space, leading to a dispute that eventually required police intervention.

Similarly, Gelles embarked on a 154-mile drive from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a farm near the South Dakota border over the summer. Using a rented EV from Hertz, Gelles discovered firsthand the limitations of the existing EV infrastructure. After 30 minutes of charging en route, the vehicle’s battery life increased by just 2%. Despite plugging the car in overnight at his destination, Gelles had insufficient power to complete the return trip to Minneapolis. The aftermath involved a tow truck and a bill from the rental company exceeding $700.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, undeterred by a projected $4.5 billion loss in EV production this year, completed a Route 66 road trip in August in the company’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. Farley reported inconsistencies in charging experiences. Some charging stations worked effectively, but he also had to use a low-speed charger that increased his truck’s battery life to 40% over 40 minutes due to the absence of high-speed chargers.

The Biden administration aims for electric vehicles to make up 50% of new car sales by 2030. To support this goal, the government has earmarked $12 billion for manufacturers to retrofit facilities for EV production and an additional $7.5 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law to develop a national charging network. The Inflation Reduction Act also offers $12.5 billion in tax credits to encourage consumers to make the switch to electric vehicles.

Despite these investments, recent experiences from those at the forefront of EV advocacy suggest there is still much ground to cover to make electric vehicles a reliable alternative for the American public.

Based on a report by DCNF.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.