Startup Lordstown Motors may deliver its first electric pickups to customers soon. The company announced that its Endurance full-size truck has received certification from both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board – one of the final crucial steps before putting a truck on the road.
In a statement, the company says, “The first units, of our initial batch of 500, are leaving the Foxconn EV Ohio plant for customer delivery.”
Wheel Motors and a Distinctive Face
The Endurance is a full-size truck with four electric motors – one in the hub of each wheel – and a range of approximately 200 miles. Lordstown says the truck makes 440 horsepower in normal use but can surge to 550 for brief intervals.
A separate motor for each wheel – an approach also used by startup Rivian for some of its trucks – can make for outstanding off-road performance. Each wheel can move at a different speed, giving a truck immense flexibility over uneven terrain.
With a huge smooth panel in place of the usual grille, the Endurance advertises its status as an electric vehicle (EV). Black accent lines on the white press models Lordstown uses for publicity make the design call to mind “Star Wars” stormtroopers.
It will be a distinctive sight on American roads. And getting it to American roads has been touch-and-go all along.
A Struggle To Get To This Point
Launching a new automaker is one of the most extreme challenges in the business world. Securing a factory, building a distribution network, and paying for materials and employees long before selling a single vehicle is a challenge that sinks many automotive startups.
The Endurance is a finalist for the 2023 World Truck of the Year Awards. But even if the product is as good as promised, that doesn’t mean Lordstown is out of the woods.
It has nearly pulled Lordstown under several times. As recently as 2021, the company warned investors that it was in imminent danger of bankruptcy before producing a truck. In a deal negotiated earlier this year, the company sold its manufacturing facility to electronics maker Foxconn, which then contracted to build the Endurance truck.
Delivering a truck to customers would help immensely.
