Ontario man who pre-ordered Ford electric truck shocked he has to pay more than Americans

After pre-ordering the new electric Ford-150 Lightning pick-up truck, an Ontario man was shocked to find he would have to pay more than he initially agreed to.

Dave Elrick of Pickering, Ont., told CTV News Toronto that he ordered one back in November 2021.

“I like trucks and I thought it would be good for the environment and I could save some money on gas,” Elrick said.

In August, Ford announced it would be raising the price of the Lightning truck by up to $8,500 USD due to the increase of manufacturing costs and the production of electric batteries.

However, Americans who have already pre-ordered their trucks will not have to pay any additional costs. But Elrick said he just found out Canadians will have to.

“In the United States if you have a pre-existing order, they are honouring that 2022 price, but in Canada, they are not. They are charging me about 15 per cent more and that’s not fair,” he said.

According to the two contracts Elrick showed CTV News Toronto, he signed an agreement to buy a 2022 model for $95,899.

Now, he is being told if he wants to buy the truck, he will have to sign a new contract for a 2023 model for $111,757, which is $15,858 more.

CTV News Toronto reached out to Ford Motor Company of Canada several times over the past week, but received no response regarding the price difference.

Elrick says Canadians shouldn’t have to pay more if American’s don’t have to.

“I think we should be treated the same in Canada. We have the free trade agreement and cars are also built here, so it should be the same price in both countries,” he said.

Elrick reached out to his Ford dealer, but he says he was told nothing could be done, and if he wants the truck, he would have to sign the new contract at the higher price.

He also reached out to Ford Motor Company of Canada, and while he says he was initially told he would get an answer about the price hike, Elrick says no one has gotten back to him in three weeks.

If he signs the new contract and agrees to the new price, he could get his F-150 Lightning early next year. But if Elrick chooses not to sign, he’s not sure what will happen.

“I hope they do the right thing. They should honour the original contract,” he said.

Other electric vehicle makers, including Tesla, recently announced they are having to raise their prices due to supply chain issues and the raw materials needed to manufacture batteries.