Lordstown EV Startup Has Halted Production and Is Fixing Problems
Lordstown Motors has halted production of the Endurance electric pickup truck, citing issues with supplier components.The truck has been in production since last fall, with Lordstown planning to assemble about 500 units with current funding.The Lordstown factory was purchased by Taiwan’s Foxconn in the spring of 2022, with the tech giant planning to produce a number of EVs stateside, although few have been built to date.
The Lordstown Endurance, has only been in production for a few months, but the truck is now facing a production halt. The EV maker said it “has experienced performance and quality issues with certain Endurance components,” leading it to make the decision to stop production temporarily. The company’s response to the performance and quality issues, which it did not specify in detail, also affects completed trucks that are awaiting delivery to customers.
But the entire pool of affected trucks only amounts to 19 vehicles that have either been delivered, or are currently being used internally by the company.
Enduring Challenges with the Startup
The EV maker said it is working with suppliers on the causes of these issues and that potential solutions could include retrofits and design modifications, as well as software updates. The formal decision to issue a recall, however, was made in light of “a specific electrical connection issue” that could produce a loss of power while driving.
The Lordstown Endurance is unique among electric pickups—and EVs as a whole—in that it features in-wheel hub motors. The truck produces a combined 440 hp, thanks to its four motors, and is powered by a 109.0-kWh battery. However, this setup gives the truck an EPA-estimated range of 193 miles, which places it near the bottom end of the spectrum for electric pickups currently on the market.
The truck’s overall positioning and $65,060 starting price perhaps make it a curious choice in a segment finally seeing some compelling choices—and some serious competition from longtime automakers.
2023 Lordstown Endurance.
“While our experienced team has made significant progress in addressing the underlying component and vehicle sub-system issues affecting the Endurance build schedule, we remain committed to doing the right thing by our customers and to resolve potential issues before resuming production and customer shipments,” said Edward Hightower, Lordstown Motors CEO & president.
Production of the Endurance began in early October 2022, just a few months after the plant was sold to Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group, better known as Foxconn. At that time the company said it planned to assemble only up to 500 trucks, with 50 having been scheduled for delivery in 2022. The rest were slated to be delivered in 2023, “subject to raising sufficient capital.” Therefore, there are still a few asterisks to the entire venture.
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
