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All Smiles: Brian and Erin Shuster in the Ford F-150 Lightning
Erin Shuster treated her father to a Ford F-150 Lightning test drive that turned into a cool demonstration of the vehicle's abilities. Shuster's father, Brian Shuster, is an engineer who retired from Ford Purchasing in 2017.
"I had driven a Lightning at ride-and drive events and my dad was jealous," said Shuster, administrative assistant to Jim Drotman, executive vice president of Ford Pro FinSimple.
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Erin Shuster
When her parents visited Michigan, Shuster got her father behind the wheel of a Lightning thanks to Tim Baughman, Ford Pro North America general manager, who shared his Lightning for a day.
Shuster picked up the vehicle during her lunch break Aug. 9. Her home had lost power the night before, so as she and her father drove the Lightning home, they stopped at a grocery store where the DTE electric power company was giving away supplies.
"We picked up ice and bottled water. When I told my Dad to pop open the frunk, people honked and asked what kind of truck it was," Shuster said.
As the temperature climbed to 91 degrees F, she realized the Lightning could keep the family cool.
"I don't have a level 2 charger at my house, so we could not use the Lightning as a generator," she said. They attached heavy duty extension cords to the refrigerator, two fans and Shuster's internet router and plugged them into outlets in the truck bed.
"I was worried the truck would run out of power and we would not realize it, but you can set it to stop powering the outlets. I set it to stop with 75 miles of range left," Shuster said.
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News spread Lightning fast
It did not take long for her neighbors to realize Shuster was using the truck for power.
"Our neighbors suddenly needed to walk their dogs and ask us questions about the Lightning. They had to sit in the front seat," Shuster said.
"We plugged in at 1:30 and turned it off about 10 that night when the power came back on. It went from about 140 miles to 127 miles in range. We weren't running the air conditioning in the house, but we probably could have.
"My dad loved the Lightning. Everywhere he went, people asked about it," Shuster said. "He retired before the focus on EVs. It was fun for him to see all the changes and learn about Ford Pro."
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Tim Baughman
An awesome daily driver
The Lightning is not only a great power source, it also is an awesome daily driver, according to Baughman.
"It is quiet, functional, super comfortable and very serene. There is no exhaust or transmission noise and because it weighs more than other F-150s and has an independepent rear suspension, it rides better, too," Baughman said.
"I had some range anxiety at first, but if you look for them, you will find public charging stations," Baughman said. A map on the truck's navigation screen helps by displaying routes to nearby charging stations.
"It helps a lot if you plan your trips and watch for the suggested charging locations," he said.
"My family and I have been going to a Walmart that has a high-speed charging station. We shop and when we come back out, we've got about 100 miles in range from that charge."
