With GM plant in hand, Lordstown Motors opens preorders for electric pickup
The Endurance will be ready to launch in late 2020, the company says.
If the Endurance comes to life, and looks like this, it will look pretty good.
Lordstown Motors is moving awfully quick on electric pickup truck production and ahead of a scheduled late-2020 launch, the company has opened the preorder books.
The startup, which famously purchased the Lordstown, Ohio, production plant from General Motors weeks ago, said on Thursday that preorders are open and gave a price for the electric pickup, called the Endurance. LM said the truck will cost $52,500 before any tax credits come into the picture. If the company manages to start production, and keep the price there, this will be a $45,000 EV pickup.
The initial batch of these pickups won't be for private use, however. Instead, LM will target the fleet sector. Eventually, the company will also sell to private buyers, but it didn't say when that shift will occur. Surely, the startup has its hands full with a big ol' production plant on its hands and the work it takes to actually put a vehicle into production.
LM wants a UAW workforce to produce the pickup, if it gets off the ground.
It wouldn't be the first time an old GM plant was retooled for EV production. Recall, Tesla purchased the former Nuumi plant in California, which GM and Toyota operated in a joint venture. Today, it churns out thousands of Tesla electric cars. So, yes, it can be done, but it's not an easy task. Tesla has yet to consistently post a profit. Not to mention, there are suddenly tons of players in this segment. Ford and GM have confirmed electric pickups. Tesla will reveal its own electric truck on Thursday. Rivian has created a massive buzz, too.
Not only does LM want to put this ambitious pickup into production, but it also plans to use the first production application of in-wheel electric motors. Numerous concepts have shown the system's benefit, but it's often been agreed they're far from ready for production. Maybe LM has an ace up its sleeve.
For those who like what they see -- a few renderings of the Endurance electric truck so far -- LM will take a $1,000 deposit starting today.
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