Lordstown Motors confirmed that it will delay the launch of its Endurance electric pickup truck due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The company had originally targeted December 2020 for the start of deliveries, but that has now been pushed back into 2021.
"Like most companies, the pandemic has caused us to tweak our plans," Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns said in a statement. "We look forward to introducing you to the world's first fully-electric pickup truck this summer, and handing the keys to fleets across the country in January 2021."
Lordstown originally planned to unveil the Endurance at the 2020 Detroit Auto Show in June, but the show was cancelled due to the pandemic. The company still plans to reveal the truck this summer, likely through a virtual event streamed from its headquarters, Burns said.
Burns also commented on recent improvements in air quality, caused by social distancing measures that have shuttered most businesses and forced most people to stay at home.
"Anyone that ever doubted that our air quality could be cleaned up dramatically by eliminating tailpipe emissions should now be cheering for the advent of vehicle electrification—especially truck electrification," he said.
Teaser for 2021 Lordstown Endurance
Unlike Tesla, Rivian, Ford, and General Motors, which are developing electric pickup trucks of their own, Lordstown plans to target commercial fleets rather than individual buyers.
The company hasn't revealed how many orders it has for the Endurance, but it recently revealed it had another 1,000 orders from fleets.
Lordstown Motors was created last year when GM sold its Lordstown, Ohio, assembly plant to the newly formed company. The Endurance truck is a continuation of the Workhorse W-15, an extended-range truck developed by Workhorse, which owns 10% of Lordstown and was also controlled by Burns.
Lordstown hasn't clarified to Green Car Reports whether thousands of pre-orders for the W-15 will transfer to the Endurance, although the company indicated that would be the case early on.
The most noteworthy design aspect of the Endurance so far are in-wheel hub motors, which have been discussed by other automakers but have never been used on a production vehicle.
Even with the delay, the Endurance should still arrive much earlier than GM's electric truck, the GMC Hummer EV. Announced in January, the truck reviving the infamous Hummer name isn't expected to go on sale until fall 2021.
