Tesla set a high bar for electric pickups when it debuted the Cybertruck last year. Now, the startup company that took over an old General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio, aims to give Tesla a run for its money. The Lordstown Endurance debuted today, and if all goes as planned, it will be the first fully electric pickup on the market. The company has said fleets will start receiving the truck beginning in January 2021.
It may not look as impressive as the Cybertruck, but just like Tesla’s creation, the Endurance is being shown under high expectations. In a presentation today, Lordstown Motors chief executive officer Steve Burns said the truck handles like a sports car and that the company aims to make the Endurance the safest pickup ever.
The truck’s most notable feature, however, is its drivetrain, which consists of four hub motors—one at each wheel. This design promises to improve vehicle control while providing true four-wheel-drive capability. Instead of having thousands of moving parts like most trucks, the Endurance has just these four, which should help lower maintenance costs.
Peak output is rated at 600 hp, and top speed is limited by software to 80 mph. While we don’t know exactly how far it will travel on a single charge, Lordstown says the truck’s range will exceed 250 miles. Fuel economy is expected to come in at 75 mpg-e.
Lordstown has already started pre-selling the Endurance. You can visit the company’s website to make a $100 deposit on the electric truck, which starts at $52,500. In comparison, Tesla plans to sell the Cybertruck for under $40,000 in single-motor configuration, and just under $70,000 for the tri-motor model. Tesla isn’t expected to start producing the Cybertruck until late 2021. Rivian, Ford, and GM are among the many other players looking to enter the electric pickup space in the coming years.
