Ford Motor Co‘s (NYSE:F) general manager, John Emmert, stirred up controversy on Tuesday when he touted a feature of the new F-150 truck that could, in his words, “help a stranded Tesla driver on the side of the road.” 

What Happened: This comment didn’t sit well with Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) enthusiasts, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their discontent, many of whom are followers of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The F-150’s Pro Power Onboard feature, available as standard on the F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid, transforms the truck into a versatile mobile power source. This feature allows Ford drivers to utilize various power outlets located throughout the truck’s bed and cabin.

Emmert’s remark about assisting stranded Tesla drivers ignited a fiery response from the Tesla community. Some perceived it as an affront to Tesla’s range capabilities.

Triggered: One Tesla supporter sarcastically quipped, “I couldn’t stop laughing… oh my Ford, help yourself first before thinking about stranded Teslas… what a joke.” 

Another commenter said: “Omg, the fact that he had to clap after to try and stir applause is freaking hilarious.”

A Tesla enthusiast pointed out Ford’s reliance on Tesla’s Supercharger Network for its electric vehicle road trips, stating, “Says the company that needs Tesla’s Supercharger Network for their cars to be usable on road trips.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Ford. Taking a shot at the greatest car manufacturer on the planet. We will be seeing Cyber trucks pulling those out of ditches in 2024,” another comment read.

Several users referred to the agreement forged between Ford and Tesla in May, allowing Ford access to Tesla’s Supercharging network beginning in 2024. 

“Tesla should be petty and ban Lightnings only from charging at superchargers for that comment,” an X user called Mahkus said.

Farley’s Road Trip: Taking a dig at Ford CEO Jim Farley, some users recalled his recent road trip with the F-150 Lightning, during which he encountered charging difficulties and shared his experiences online. 

"Charging has been pretty challenging," Farley said in a post during his trip in August, recounting his experience of stopping to charge at Harris Ranch in Coalinga, California, wherein he waited 40 minutes to get to 40%. "It was a really good reality check of what our customers go through and the importance of fast charging."

"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 dealerships," Farley had said then.

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Photo courtesy: Ford