Trailerbodybuilders 13205 Lordstown Motors Co Electric Pickup
Trailerbodybuilders 13205 Lordstown Motors Co Electric Pickup
Trailerbodybuilders 13205 Lordstown Motors Co Electric Pickup
Trailerbodybuilders 13205 Lordstown Motors Co Electric Pickup
Trailerbodybuilders 13205 Lordstown Motors Co Electric Pickup

Startup Lordstown Motors acquires GM factory in Ohio

Nov. 14, 2019
Lordstown Motors recently acquired the shuttered GM manufacturing complex in Lordstown OH.

Lordstown Motors Corp (LMC), a new original equipment manufacturer, recently acquired the shuttered GM manufacturing complex in Lordstown OH.

The electric vehicle startup says the move paves the way to begin production of the Endurance pickup truck, which it calls the industry’s first all-electric pickup truck that is purpose-built for fleets, starting in late 2020.  

“We are committed to the people of Lordstown, we will locate our headquarters in the Lordstown plant, and we plan to build the Endurance pickup truck utilizing experienced workers who helped produce millions of vehicles in this very same plant,” said Steve Burns, LMC CEO.

The 6.2 million-square-foot Lordstown factory is a fully equipped automotive plant that has produced more than 16 million vehicles.

“The quality and precision of the production robotics and equipment in the Lordstown facility is evident,” said Rich Schmidt, chief production officer for LMC and former director of manufacturing at Tesla. “Our team feels this is a factor to help us hit the ground running in building the Endurance pickup truck.”

Lordstown Motors will license components of Workhorse Group’s electric-drive technology in building the Endurance truck, a plan designed to achieve greater speed to market, the company said. The agreement with Workhorse also provides the opportunity to transfer 6,000 existing pre-orders received by Workhorse for its W-15 prototype to LMC.

Endurance is designed to be the first production vehicle that utilizes a four-wheel-drive, hub-motor system, reducing the number of moving parts. The company claims fleet managers will benefit from fewer breakdowns, lower maintenance and, most importantly, less cost. The overall benefit is an attractive total cost of ownership, which translates into a lower lifetime operational cost compared to traditional pickups.

The truck features an onboard power export, allowing fleet workers to run power tools at the job site without the need for a portable generator or leaving the truck running. It’s also engineered to be lightweight, LMC maintained, with all-wheel drive and a low center of gravity, while maintaining ground clearance.

“Lordstown Motors, along with other planned investments in the area and other start-ups, are positioning Northeast Ohio as a hub for technology, which completely reshapes the future trajectory of the whole Mahoning Valley,” said Jim Tressel, president of Youngstown State University. “Think of being in the epicenter of EV technology. We must take charge of our future.”

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