​​Fans have been enthralled with the electrifying, unstoppable power of the F-150 Lightning since its introduction. The circle of Lightning lovers includes just about every kind of person you can think of, with their passion for this groundbreaking truck bringing them all together. A man by the name of Joe Sholtes is one of them, and he became the driving force behind the Lightning Clubs of America neighborhood meetings and events that have helped fans find each other.
Like his father and brothers, Sholtes was once a devoted Chevy driver, but after he experienced an EcoBoost-powered F-150 back in 2017, it was a different story. The performance of the truck amazed him! Sholtes was eager to get an electric truck for himself as soon as he learned that Ford was developing one. “I really didn’t know that having that quick a truck was an option,” he said.
When Sholtes received his F-150 Lightning order, he discovered that the vehicle was much more than just fast. The entire Sholtes family wound up relying on the truck during a winter blackout, using its Pro Power Onboard to keep their electronics (and those of their neighbors) charged and functional.
Even with a full-time job and two young children, Joe Sholtes managed to find time to share his enthusiasm for Ford's innovative electric truck. In order to provide other Lightning owners with a place to talk about their experiences, support one another, and enjoy working together while sharing their passion for the truck, he started Lightning Clubs of America. The group quickly expanded into nine local 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.”
Today, there are over 900 members in North America. Together with Sholtes, some of them came together for a record-breaking event– the first electric flight powered by electric cars. With its Pro Power Onboard function, the formidable F-150 Lightning was the ideal truck for this application. Club members set up a chain of locations in the flight path to enable the plane to land and be charged by their trucks as needed. A subset of the club's members are also part of Ford's "early access" group for software updates, enabling them to test new releases ahead of time and act as Ford's first review panel, offering input to the company's engineers prior to the update being received by the rest of the Lightning ownership base.
Sholtes, known by some of his fellow truck enthusiasts as "Joe Lightning," soon came to the realization that the clubs were growing too quickly for a single organizer to manage alone. He is currently in charge of the search for additional F-150 Lightning owners who are capable of organizing local groups and fostering unity among people who share a passion for electric trucks!