Meet the F-150 Lightning Owner Spreading EV Passion Across America

If you’ve ever attended a Lightning Clubs of America community meet or event, you have Joe Sholtes to thank.

Sholtes was always a Chevy guy, just like his dad and brothers. That all changed in 2017 when he first test drove an EcoBoost-powered F-150 pickup. Sholtes fell in love with the truck’s impressive performance.

And when Ford announced in 2021 an electric truck with even more power, he knew it would be the right vehicle for him.

“I really didn’t know that having that quick a truck was an option,” Sholtes said.

After taking delivery of the pickup, he realized that F-150 Lightning offered much more than just blisteringly quick acceleration.

During a winter blackout, the Sholtes family made use of Pro Power Onboard¹ – turning the F-150 Lightning into portable power bank to keep their electronics charged with 9.6kW of exportable power. Sholtes made sure that neighbors and friends could plug their devices into his truck while their homes were without power.

And when he’s not helping folks out with his truck, Sholtes is a busy guy. You'd think that being the father to a newborn and four-year-old, along with a full-time day job, would be enough for most people, but not for Sholtes.

Just after the truck launched, he founded Lightning Clubs of America to create a forum where Lightning owners could share their experiences with others. The club quickly became popular among enthusiasts, and Sholtes expanded the organization into nine regional chapters.

“The enthusiasm in this EV community really blew me away,” Sholtes said. “The clubs grew at enormous speeds – it was clear that these social groups really filled a previously empty area in the EV space.”

With over 900 members across North America, being a Lightning Club member comes with a few surprising perks due to the sheer size and influence of the group.

Sholtes and other owners organized to support a world-record breaking attempt for the first electric flight powered by electric vehicles – with F-150 Lightning owners setting up a daisy chain of charging locations along the route for the plane to land and recharge during the journey.

F-150 Lightning was specifically chosen for this application due to its exportable power, through the available Pro Power Onboard feature.

Likewise, select club members are a part of Ford’s “early access” group for software updates. These folks are some of the first people to see new software updates and serve as front-line expert reviewers – telling Ford engineers what they like and what they don’t – before the updates are shipped to customers.

Growing at such a speed, Sholtes quickly realized that the clubs were getting too large for a single organizer. Known to some as “Joe Lightning,” his dedication now extends to finding F-150 Lightning owners with just as much enthusiasm to help lead regional clubs.

Disclaimer
¹See Owner’s Manual for important operating instructions.