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Lordstown Endurance

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Lordstown Endurance
Prototype Lordstown Endurance on display during a factory visit by then Vice President Mike Pence
Overview
ManufacturerLordstown Motors
ProductionSeptember 2022–June 2023[1]
(450 Units produced)
Model years2023
AssemblyUnited States: Lordstown, Ohio (Lordstown Assembly)
Body and chassis
ClassElectric Full size pickup truck
Body style4-door pickup truck
LayoutWheel hub motors, Individual-wheel drive
Powertrain
Electric motor4 wheel hub AC permanent magnet electric motors
Battery109 kWh
Range174 mi (280 km) EPA
Dimensions
Wheelbase146.2 in (3,713 mm)[2]
Length230.0 in (5,842 mm)[2]
Width81.4 in (2,068 mm)[2]
Height76.4 in (1,941 mm)[2]
Curb weight6,450 lb (2,930 kg)[2]

The Lordstown Endurance is a full-size battery electric pickup truck with wheel hub motors manufactured by Lordstown Motors in collaboration with Foxconn at its Ohio factory. The Endurance entered limited production in September 2022 with plans to manufacture no more than 500 vehicles through June of 2023.[3] It is the company's first production automobile.

History

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Initial design

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Development began as the range-extended electric vehicle Workhorse W-15 in 2016.[4] The automotive press got their first look at the W-15 at a May 2017 event held in Long Beach, California.[5] A prototype W-15 was shown in August 2018, fitted with a gasoline range extender sourced from BMW.[6] Steve Burns, the CEO of Workhorse Group, left that company to help found the automotive startup Lordstown Motors in autumn 2019.[7] The W-15 design was licensed in November 2019 to Lordstown in exchange for a 10% minority stake in the latter company,[8] and Workhorse paused further development of the W-15.[9] Simultaneously, Lordstown acquired the Lordstown Assembly plant from General Motors.[10]

In the second half of December 2019, Lordstown Motors presented the first preliminary information about its vehicle. The electric pickup truck design was renamed to the Lordstown Endurance, adopting an avant-garde design that combines the classic proportions of a semi-truck with lighting that forms a single line with embossing.[11] The W-15 forms the basis of the Endurance,[12] although there are significant differences.[7]

In mid-June 2020, Lordstown presented the first official sketches showing the appearance of the passenger cab of the Endurance,[13] while the world premiere of the pickup took place on June 25 of the same year.[14]

Testing and factory sale

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A prototype Endurance caught fire 10 minutes into its first test drive in January 2021 and was completely destroyed. Details of the fire were not released publicly until February 2021;[15] Hindenburg Research, a short-seller of Lordstown stock, published a report in March alleging that Lordstown had inflated preorder numbers to boost investor confidence and provided further details about the fire gleaned from a police report.[16]

In June 2021, company officials said they planned to begin production in fall 2021, even though the company had no firm orders for the truck, as they had sufficient capital to produce into 2022. Also in June, Lordstown CEO Steve Burns and CFO Julio Rodriguez resigned as a result of an investigation into preorders sparked by Hindenburg's report.[17] The company warned that it had experienced difficulty securing sufficient funding to begin full production, and stated that the US$587 million it reported in its latest quarterly SEC filing would not be enough to get to "full commercial production."[18] In August of that year, Workhorse divested most of its share in Lordstown.[19]

In September 2021, Lordstown announced the factory would be sold to Foxconn for $280 million to raise the capital needed to start production; Lordstown would enter a contract with Foxconn to manufacture the Endurance. The first vehicles were unveiled in an October 2021 event held jointly by Foxconn and Lordstown.[20] The factory sale to Foxconn closed in May 2022.[21]

Production

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Production of the Endurance took place at Lordstown Assembly, a former General Motors plant, in the village of the same name in the U.S. state of Ohio;[22] Lordstown Motors had purchased the shuttered plant from GM in November 2019[10] and owned it until it was sold to Foxconn in 2021.[21]

Originally, production was to start in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, it was postponed to 2021,[23] and in June 2021, this was pushed back to fall 2021 following revelations about a lack of confirmed orders.[18] Production was delayed again in October 2021 to April 2022 after Lordstown announced it was selling the factory to Foxconn.[20] A month later, Lordstown announced that production would be delayed to the third quarter of 2022 due to supply chain issues.[24] Commercial production began on September 29, 2022; Lordstown expected to produce 50 Endurance vehicles in 2022 and up to 450 more in the first half of 2023.[3]

By November 2022, Lordstown said it had assembled 500 Endurance trucks, and after winning type approval, would begin deliveries before the end of the year.[25] Lordstown delivered three Endurance trucks to customers in the fourth quarter of 2022.[26] By February 2023, Lordstown had assembled only 31 Endurance trucks since production began in September 2022; the factory was shut down after issuing a recall for 19 of those for a "specific electrical connection issue that could result in a loss of propulsion while driving".[27][28] As of March 2023, sources suggest that six trucks have been delivered to customers in total.[26] A second and third recall followed in March and April 2023, respectively.[29][30]

On June 27, 2023, Lordstown Motors announced that they would sell the Endurance following the company filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a dispute between its parent company FoxConn, marking the end of the Lordstown Endurance.[31]

Design

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Workhorse W-15

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The W-15 had an all-wheel drive powertrain driven by two traction motors, one each for the front and rear axles, with a combined output of 460 hp (340 kW). These motors drew from a battery carried between the frame rails consisting of 6,000 cells from Panasonic;[5] gross capacity was 60 kW-hr, but the useable capacity was limited to 40 kW-hr for longevity.[32] The all-electric range was estimated to be 80 to 100 mi (130 to 160 km).[6] There was an onboard 11 US gal (42 L) gasoline tank and three-cylinder range extender that added an additional 310 mi (500 km);[5] the 0.7 L I-3 had an estimated output of 38 hp (28 kW) and 41 lb⋅ft (56 N⋅m).[32] Estimated consumption was 75 mpg‑e (45 kW⋅h/100 mi) on electricity, dropping to 28 / 32 mpg‑US (8.4 / 7.4 L/100 km) for the EPA city/highway driving cycles, respectively.[5][32]

The truck was approximately the same size as contemporary half-ton crew cab pickup truck competitors such as the Honda Ridgeline[5] and Toyota Tundra,[32] at 234 in (5,900 mm) long riding on a wheelbase of 143 in (3,600 mm), but was wider than most by approximately 5 to 6 in (130 to 150 mm) at 80 in (2,000 mm).[5][32] The body of the W-15 was made of carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials and was based on the design of the 2014–2018 Chevrolet Silverado Double Cab.[6][33] Larger W-25 and W-35 models were planned.[5]

The stated capacities were 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) of cargo in the 6.5 ft long (2.0 m) bed and 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) towing.[6][34] It weighed approximately 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) and had a GVWR of 7,200 lb (3,300 kg).[5]

Powertrain

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While the W-15 was a range extended electric pickup, the Endurance eschews the range extender and is a plug-in electric vehicle that uses four individual wheel hub motors.[7] As announced at its premiere in June 2020, the Endurance will be the first consumer-market EV to use in-hub motors; the combined output is estimated to be 600 hp (450 kW), with a total peak / continuous torque output of 4,400 / 2,000 lb⋅ft (6,000 / 2,700 N⋅m). The Endurance will be able to tow trailers up to 7,500 lb (3,400 kg).[14] The estimated range was 250 mi (400 km) using a high-voltage storage battery of unknown capacity.[14]

For the production Endurance, the output was revised to 515 hp (384 kW) and 4,720 lb⋅ft (6,400 N⋅m) with a towing capacity of 8,000 lb (3,600 kg).[35] The EPA estimated the range at 174 mi (280 km),[36] based on a tested consumption of 48 mpg‑e (70 kW⋅h/100 mi) on the combined (city/highway) cycle and a battery capacity of 109 kW-hr.[37]

The hub motors are licensed from Elaphe Propulsion Technologies, a company based in Slovenia.[38] Each in-hub motor was expected to weigh 70 lb (32 kg), which increases the unsprung mass, but Lordstown CEO Burns was confident the suspension and software being developed for the Endurance would overcome these challenges.[39] The final weight of the hub motors used on the production Endurance is 85 lb (39 kg) each.[2]

Chassis

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At the rear, the Endurance uses a beam axle on leaf springs.[2]

Performance

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The estimated top speed is 118 mph (190 km/h) and Lordstown claims the production Endurance can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.3 seconds.[35]

References

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  1. ^ Pappas, Thanos (September 30, 2022). "Lordstown Begins Production Of The Endurance, Hopes To Deliver 50 Units In 2022". Carscoops.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Voelcker, John (October 28, 2022). "2023 Lordstown Endurance Electric Pickup Is Up and Running". Car and Driver. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Lordstown Motors starts production of electric pickup truck Endurance at Ohio plant". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. September 29, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (November 7, 2016). "Workhorse Group to Make Electric Pickup Trucks". Trucks.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Mark (May 2, 2018). "2018 Workhorse W-15 Review: First Look and Drive". Pickup Trucks. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Timmer, John (August 19, 2018). "Workhorse brings an electric pickup truck, helicopter to Manhattan". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Steve Burns (May 13, 2020). "Retooling a shuttered factory to build electric trucks: Q&A with Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns". Charged Electric Vehicles (Interview). Interviewed by Charles Morris. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  8. ^ "Workhorse Group Signs Intellectual Property Licensing Agreement with Lordstown Motors Corp" (Press release). Workhorse Group Inc. November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  9. ^ Randall, Chris. "Workhorse puts electric pickup development on hold". www.electrive.com. Electrive.
  10. ^ a b LaReau, Jamie L. (November 7, 2019). "GM sells its Lordstown Assembly plant to electric truck start-up". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  11. ^ "Lordstown Endurance To Have At Least 200 Miles Of Range And Four Electric Motors". Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  12. ^ Will We Ever Get a RIDE in a Lordstown Endurance? on YouTube Transport Evolved (June 15, 2021)
  13. ^ "Lordstown Endurance Interior Teased As Company Confirms June 25th Debut". CarScoops. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c Gitlin, Jonathan M. (June 25, 2020). "Meet the Lordstown Endurance, a new $52,500 electric work truck". Ars Technica. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  15. ^ Brownell, Bradley (February 24, 2021). "Lordstown Motors Prototype Electric Truck Burned To The Ground In Testing". Jalopnik. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  16. ^ Holderith, Peter (March 16, 2021). "Lordstown Motors' Endurance Prototype Caught Fire Ten Minutes Into First Test Drive". The Verge. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ O'Kane, Sean (June 14, 2021). "Lordstown Motors CEO resigns after investigation into preorders". The Verge. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Lordstown Motors reverses, says it has no firm truck orders". Seattle Times. June 17, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Gauntner, Mike (August 9, 2021). "Workhorse divests 72% of its Lordstown Motors stock". NBC 21 WFMJ. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Foxconn, buyer of Lordstown plant, unveils first electric vehicle". Crain's Cleveland Business. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Rosevear, John (May 11, 2022). "Lordstown Motors closes $230 million deal to sell its Ohio factory to Foxconn, injecting needed cash days before deadline". CNBC. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  22. ^ "Lordstown Motors Previews Its Electric Endurance Pickup". Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  23. ^ "Lordstown Endurance Electric Pickup Pushed Back To 2021, Debut Still Slated For This Summer". Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  24. ^ Wayland, Michael (November 11, 2021). "Lordstown Motors delays Endurance EV pickup production due to supplier issues, shares fall". CNBC. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  25. ^ Nedelea, Andrei (November 29, 2022). "Lordstown Endurance Electric Pickup Now Homologated And Certified For US Sales". Inside EVs. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  26. ^ a b Loveday, Steven (March 6, 2023). "Lordstown Making New EV Plans After Selling 3 Electric Trucks In 2022". Inside EVs. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  27. ^ Mihalascu, Dan (February 24, 2023). "Lordstown Pauses Production And Deliveries, Recalls 19 Endurance EVs". Inside EVs. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  28. ^ Wayland, Michael (February 23, 2023). "Lordstown halts production, shipments of Endurance electric trucks to address quality issues". CNBC. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  29. ^ Dnistran, Iulian (March 13, 2023). "Lordstown Recalls 5 of the 31 Endurance Pickups It Ever Made". Inside EVs. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  30. ^ Mosca, Zach (May 3, 2023). "Lordstown Motors Endurance EV recalled for a third time". NBC 21 WFMJ. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  31. ^ "Lordstown Motors files for bankruptcy, sues Foxconn; Will sell Endurance Vehicle". WKBN.com. June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  32. ^ a b c d e Evans, Scott (May 3, 2017). "Workhorse W-15 4WD Plug-In Electric Work Truck Prototype First Drive". Motor Trend. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  33. ^ Hall, Emme (January 9, 2018). "Workhorse W-15 electric pickup truck comes to CES 2018". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  34. ^ Jacobs, Caleb (May 3, 2017). "Take a Good Look at the Workhorse W-15 Electric Pickup Truck". The Drive. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  35. ^ a b Smith, Steven Cole (October 20, 2022). "2023 Lordstown Endurance Review: Underdog exceeds expectations". Hagerty. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  36. ^ "2023 Lordstown Endurance". fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  37. ^ Hundal, Thomas (June 2, 2023). "The Lordstown Endurance Electric Pickup Got An Abysmal Range Rating But The EPA Label Makes No Sense". The Autopian. Retrieved June 5, 2023. However, something feels off — if the Lordstown Endurance gets substantially worse MPGe than the F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T, why is its kWh/100 mi figure nearly identical to those of established competitors?
  38. ^ Morris, Charles (May 21, 2020). "Lordstown announces exclusive licensing agreement with Elaphe for in-wheel hub motors". Charged Electric Vehicles. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  39. ^ St. Clair, Jeff (June 29, 2020). "Lordstown Motors' Big Gamble on Hub Motors". WKSU News, Public Radio for Northeast Ohio. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
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