I Want My 'lectric Ranger, I Want My 'lectric Ranger!

Ford Agrees to Sell Two Electric Trucks to Protesting Lease Holders Rather Than Surrender Them

SACRAMENTO January 21, 2004; Jim Wasserman writing for the AP reported that the Ford Motor Co. said Friday it will sell two Ford Ranger electric pickup trucks to a pair of lease holders who staged sit-ins at a Sacramento Ford dealer rather than surrender the vehicles as requested by the nation's second largest automaker.

Ford called its change of heart a limited "customer satisfaction issue." But clean-air activists characterized it as a symbolic victory for nonpolluting cars and trucks in California, and urged Ford to resume its discontinued electric vehicle program.

"These are great vehicles," said David Bernikoff-Raboy, 33, a Mariposa County rancher celebrating Ford's decision to sell him the truck. "Ford is missing a huge marketing opportunity with these vehicles." The rancher and his wife, Heather, 34, said the Ranger costs little to maintain, requires no fuel and frees the nation from dependence on foreign oil.

But Ford spokeswoman Cheryl Eberwein said the automaker is focused instead on hybrid technology with a long-range eye on hydrogen-powered cars. Describing the company's experiment with electric vehicles, she said, "The market didn't support it."

The two disputed electric pickup trucks are among 1,500 manufactured by Ford between 1998 and 2001, and were leased to the Bernikoff-Raboy family, and to William Korthof, 27, owner of a Pomona solar power installation company.

Most similar trucks have since been called in by Ford and scrapped as the company turned to different technologies and an industry lawsuit blocked California's requirement that 5 percent of vehicles sold there by 2001 produce zero emissions. Eberwein said only 88 of Ford's electric pickups remain and most are in municipal fleets with leases that expire late next year.

Both lease holders waged a yearlong campaign with Ford to buy their vehicles instead of seeing them destroyed. Beginning Jan. 15, they and clean air activists began a sit-in at Downtown Ford in Sacramento to protest the company's scrapping policy and vowed to remain until Ford reversed it.

"It took them a year, and a lot of effort on my part with no results, and suddenly they're willing to rethink the situation," Korthof said.

Eberwein said Ford knows only of four individual owners of the electric pickups.

"If there are other situations out there we will look at it on a case by case basis," she said.

Copy of Letter Sent To California Attorney General!
Our Story
Currently myself and a few others lease Ford Ranger Electric Trucks from Ford. However, Ford is refusing to sell us the vehicles. They want to take them back and crush them. We have had our Electric Vehicle (EV) Ranger 3 ˝ years with no major issues, no breakdowns, and no maintenance. It is a standard Ford Ranger pickup body, able to haul 1200 lbs and attain freeway speeds. (e-controlled to 78 mph). Its range is from 60 miles in the hills to 80 miles in flat areas. This is more than enough to go to town from my ranch and back, plus have plenty left over to use around the ranch. After its use, I just plug it in, and in the morning there is a full charge! It uses NO gas or oil – just electricity. In fact, because we have solar panels and sell power back, it costs us ZERO dollars to run our truck!

Several of us want to purchase these great vehicles from Ford, but they are refusing to do so. Already, others that came before us have had their vehicles crushed. Ford has offered us several explanations, but all have been obstructionist lies. One of Ford’s most memorable explanations is that the Ranger EV did not meet safety regulations to drive on California roads. They said it had never been crash tested. Checking on the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website, we found that the Ranger EV had indeed been tested and had rated one star higher than the gas Ford Ranger. Another of Ford's reasoning relates to battery liability. All of the Ranger EV lessees have offered to sign any release of liability Ford wants…but they still say no. If there were not so many lies and weak excuses, we would not have been so suspicious.

Several of us also received letters telling us that we could purchase them. Even our lease list's a "cap cost" or what is known as a residual value. We have tried to get attorneys involved, but have been told by many that this issue regarding our personal contract with Ford is not “low hanging fruit”.

Why does Ford want to get rid of perfectly good working vehicles that go a long way to clean our air and make it safe for children to breath? That is a fantastic question, that, would you believe, has not been asked by the very tax-dollar funded agencies paid to oversee and hold automakers accountable. However, several other individuals and organizations have asked that question. Chris Paine, a documentary film-maker has tackled the issue of the disappearance of the EVs in his documentary, “EV Confidential”. Check out the movie website and support this timely, excellent film at www.evconfidential.com. Please go to our resources section for more contacts and ways that you can get involved. There are few issues, which have the potential to create such a large-scale positive affect in the world. Making vehicles, which do not require oil and gas to operate, is one of them. If you are so inclined, please support this cause in whichever way you are able. Thank you for your time!

Dave and Heather.