Lordstown Motors came under the spotlight when it purchased GM’s factory is Lordstown, Ohio. No, it’s not ironic; the marque actually derives its name from the village in Trumbull County. Lordstown Motors is entering the electric pickup truck market with its first offering called the Endurance.

The company has constantly been in news, especially for its claims that the Endurance can beat the Cybertruck. Apparently, the Endurance will be up and running before the Cybertruck hits the roads. Now, a few more details have emerged on the company’s website wherein it plans to produce half-a-million truck every year, amongst many other things. Isn’t Lordstown being a little too ambitious at this point?

In-Wheel Hub Motors In Place of a Motor-On-Axle Approach

ids=873682,873683

no_overlay=false

before_label=Lordstown Endurance Electric Truck

after_label=Tesla Cybertruck>


Lordstown Motors has revealed that the Endurance will be built from scratch as an all-out EV at the factory it acquired in Ohio.

This is a unique approach by Lordstown because it has not been prioritized by other EV manufacturers for mass production. With in-wheel hub motors, Lordstown will have to make use of custom brakes as well. On the flip side, these motors offer better maneuverability and reduced energy consumption.

However, Lordstown plans to release the truck within one year and it doesn’t even have a prototype ready yet. Wouldn’t a dual-motor, one-on-each-axle setup be a better approach to simplify the manufacturing process?

200 Miles Is the EPA-Estimated Range; The Real-World Figure Will Be Much Lower, Though

This is very poor because the Cybertruck claims over 250 miles in its single-motor setup and 300+ miles in the dual-motor setup. This seems to be for the base trim, which is priced at $52,500. There will also be a federal tax credit that could bring down the price to $45,000. At the onset, the Endurance is priced a little too high if it wants to take on the Cybertruck.

Lordstown has also said that charging on a Level 2 7-kW AC charger takes 10 hours to refill 90 percent of the battery. Level 3 DC charging can replenish the same amount in 30 to 90 minutes. This means the battery should offer a capacity of 80-90 kWh. What's more, the five-seater’s top speed is limited to 80 mph.

Lordstown Motors Is Using GM’s Old Factory For Production

The plant was part of GM’s mega restructuring plan to make it profitable by 2021. In pure numbers, GM will be making changes to the tune of $3 billion in order to generate positive cash flow of $6 billion in the next two to three years. GM shut down five plants as part of the plan, which included three assembly plants - Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit, Michigan; and Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio – and two propulsion plants – Baltimore Operation in White Marsh, Maryland; and Warren Transmission Operations in Warren, Michigan. GM has also loaned $40 million to Lordstown Motors to help it begin operations in its factory.

The Production Version Will Be Out By November 2020

To attain a futuristic look, Lordstown has completely closed the front grille and baked in sharp character lines all around the body. The Endurance is expected to come with 20-inch wheels wrapped around low profile tires. Currently, Lordstown is planning to raise another $300 million. The company’s CEO, Steve Burns, is also the founder of Workhorse – the company that is supplying motors to Lordstown and he happens to own a 10-percent stake in the company as well. He said that he wants the pre-production prototypes to be out by April 2020 and to roll out the final production version by November 2020. If the 400 workers can stick to the timeline, these cars will hit the roads almost a year before the first batch of Cybertruck even hits the production lines.

Towing Capabilities Seem Average At Best

As for the towing capabilities, the Endurance can tow up to 6,000 pounds and climb a 30-percent degree slope when loaded to its GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).

In terms of safety, the company is expecting five-star crash ratings for front and side impacts, and four stars for the rollover test. Driver assistance features will include automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and lane departure warning.

Final Thoughts

Lordstown Motors looks to be quite serious about this venture since it has managed to poach big-shot staff from Tesla, GM, Volkswagen, and Karma. The company is aiming at producing 500,000 examples of the Endurance every year. The pre-orders for the truck are open and it can be reserved for $100. Do you think the Lordstown Endurance can give the Cybertruck a run for its money? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.