Page 62 - Motor Trend (April 2020)

WE QUESTION THE WISDOM OF THAT BIG, CONVENTIONAL
HOOD ON A TRUCK WITH WHEEL MOTORS. WHY NOT OPT
FOR A MUCH MORE CAB-FORWARD/LARGER-BED DESIGN?

Peek inside those shallow-dish
wheels to see the electric motors
with integral brakes, which will
propel and stop the Endurance.
Lordstown Endurance November 2020
Price $52,500 (before applicable tax credits) Powertrain Layout 4 in-wheel motors;
600 hp/4,400 lb-ft* comb; 90-kW-hr* battery pack Configuration 4-door/5 But we question the wisdom of that big,
conventional hood on a truck with wheel
pass/6.5-ft bed L x W x H; Wheelbase 234.0 x 80.0 x 73.9 in; 143.0 in
motors (which, if they’re Elaphes, even
Performance 0–60: 5.0 sec*, 200-mile EPA range* Towing/Payload Capacity
6,000/2,200 lb Unique Selling Propositions Claimed fewest moving parts of any incorporate the power electronics). There
appears to be ample room under the
motor vehicle, 3.6-kW 120-volt job-site power *estimated
conventional bed floor for batteries, and
emember the Workhorse W-15 and two inboard motors for four in-wheel a frunk seems less useful than added bed
extended-range hybrid-electric motors that together pack 600-hp. There’s space, so why not opt for a much more
Rpickup we reported would go into no official word about torque, nor any cab-forward/larger-bed design?
production in 2018? Never happened. mention of who’s supplying the motors, Burns’ aggressive timing aim is to have
Instead, GM decided to close its Lordstown, but Elaphe produces a 110-kW/1,500-Nm prototypes running by about the time
Ohio, plant—but was under pressure to (148-hp/1,106-lb-ft) unit that would work. you read this, with production following in
reduce job losses by finding a buyer that Remember that in-wheel motors don’t November. Color us skeptical.
would continue to build vehicles. Work- benefit from the torque multiplication of
horse CEO Steve Burns seized the oppor- a transmission or final drive gear, so this
Nothing is hidden: The rivets,
tunity to found Lordstown Motors Corp., lofty torque spec equates to a combined fasteners, and door and
acquiring the 6.2 million-square-foot plant inboard motor output of about 400–500 rear window hinges are all
proudly displayed.
at a substantial discount (along with a $40 lb-ft with typical gearing.
million loan from GM) with a promise to Lordstown claims a battery range of
build electric trucks. about 200 miles, which suggests
As part of the deal, Burns gave Work- a pack size of about 80 to 90
horse a 10 percent stake in Lordstown in kW-hr, but no official specs have
exchange for licensing rights to the W-15, been provided. The truck can
as well as the 6,000 preorders Workhorse also allegedly climb a 30 percent
had sold. Lordstown also hopes to provide grade when fully loaded, though
overflow manufacturing capacity for the company has yet to disclose
Workhorse, which has shifted its focus to its max payload. (The W-15
last-mile electric delivery vans. was rated to carry 2,200
Now Lordstown Motors’ website pounds.) Another work truck
describes a substantially different fully bonus is an onboard inverter that
electric work truck called the Endurance, can provide 30 amps of 120-volt power
which scraps the BMW range extender for operating tools and the like.

62 MOTORTREND.COM APRIL 2020