EV startup Lordstown Motors said on April 18 it was resuming production and deliveries of its Endurance electric pickup truck this month after a pause in February to address quality issues.
Lordstown Motors made a cursory announcement in a press release about a new agreement with Amerit Fleet Solutions for service and maintenance for its fleet customers.
“Production and deliveries resumed in April 2023 after a break earlier in the year to address supplier quality issues and are expected to continue at a very slow pace.”
Lordstown Endurance begins commercial production at its Foxconn EV Ohio assembly plant in Q3 2022, and sales to follow in Q4 2022.
At the end of February 2023, the company said it had made only 31 Endurance vehicles for sale and was recalling 19 vehicles from those delivered to customers and those used internally.
The recall was caused by a high-voltage cable between the inverter and the motor that “may have faulted causing loss of propulsion and the vehicle not being able to restart after being shut down.”
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In mid-March 2023, Lordstown announced the recall of five of the 31 Endurance trucks it had produced. The second recall was caused by the electric parking brake which may have failed due to a thrust washer that was incorrectly attached to the caliper.
After starting production in late September 2022, the company said it will deliver 50 trucks to customers in 2022, and 450 in the first half of 2023, provided it has sufficient capital. In fact, Lordstown Motors only managed to deliver three electric Endurance trucks in 2022 and an additional three in early 2023.
In January 2023, the company estimates production will slow down until the first quarter due to supply chain constraints, especially related to the availability of hub motor components.
EV startups have struggled with production challenges and dwindling cash balances as access to capital has tightened amid rising US interest rates to curb inflation.
The Lordstown Endurance features four individual in-wheel hub motors that produce a combined 550 horsepower and can move the truck from zero to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. The motor draws power from a 109 kilowatt-hour battery that can quickly charge DC up to 150 kilowatts. The electric pickup recently received an EPA range rating of 174 miles.
