Off The Grid With The Ford F-150 Lightning

Electric vehicles from Ford are monstrously sophisticated these days, whether it’s their amazing safety features or advanced driver-assistance systems like Ford BlueCruise. It could also be the ability to basically plug your house into your Ford F-150 Lightning to get power during or following a storm or if you happen to venture off the grid, which is precisely how the Westby family uses their Lightning. 

A Mobile Generator and Light Source

Ben Westby, his wife, and two adopted daughters use the F-150 Lightning deep in the Rocky Mountains to light their path and as a mobile generator to set up for a massive winter storm that is already dropping snow and will lower temperatures to arctic-low levels, which can reach -40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

No Electrical Infrastructure, No Problem

“We’re at 9,000 feet of altitude with no electrical infrastructure so everything is a bit tougher,” Westby said. “Having a propane generator is nice, but this truck is truly a game changer with its exportable power – instead of having to go to the generator, the generator comes with us.”

A Proper Midwest Upbringing

Westby was an elementary school teacher and worked for seven years in China. However, he and his wife packed up and moved to be closer to family and create their own lives in Western Colorado. Since that time, the Westbys have fostered 13 children and adopted two biological sisters: “When we adopted our girls, my wife and I wanted to replicate a little bit of our Midwest upbringing: Growing up in the woods, having animals, doing hands-on work that brings you together,” Westby said. “With housing so expensive, going off-grid and finding land with space for animals made the most sense.” 

An EV Enthusiast 

As a fan and enthusiast of EVs, Mr. Westby had a Tesla. He waited for the right time to buy his new F-150 Lightning, which turned out to be November 2023, saying he only regrets not making the change sooner: “We load up hay from the local feedlot and get chicken feed while doing a garbage run and having kids and everybody in the cabin,” he said. “We get the utility of the F-150 plus the benefits of the battery. Being off-grid in the Rockies is an extreme case for owning an EV, but we’re maximizing it. We’re absolutely loving it.”

The F-150 Lightning Saves The Day

Before owning the Lightning, Ben and his family used solar power and propane generators, which were noisy and costly. However, the all-electric F-150 proved its worth very quickly when “We had a system failure and one of our solar inverters failed, and we were able to use extension cords to power our refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine, all of our essential devices off the F-150 Lightning,” Mr. Westby said.

At Dick Smith Ford of Columbia, we value our customers and offer some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. Our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.