Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Workhorse could give a castoff GM factory new life building electric trucks

By

Workhorse W-15In November, General Motors announced a culling of vehicle models and facilities. But now one of the factories set to be sidelined could get a new life with a different company. GM is in talks to sell its Lordstown Complex in Ohio to Workhorse Group, which is interested in using the factory to build electric trucks.

Lordstown previously built the Chevrolet Cruze, but the last of those cars rolled off its assembly line in March. The factory was “unallocated,” meaning GM planned to close it down rather than replace the Cruze with another model. Workhorse, or rather a consortium led by the company’s founder, is now working to buy the factory. That would preserve local jobs and help GM save face. While the company recently announced new investments and added jobs at other Ohio facilities, it has been widely criticized for idling so many workers as it closes factories and trims its vehicle lineup. The cuts are ostensibly aimed at freeing up funds for things like electric vehicles — exactly what Workhorse plans to build at Lordstown.

Recommended Videos

“The first vehicle we would plan to build if we were to purchase the Lordstown Complex would be a commercial electric pickup,” blending Workhorse’s technology with Lordstown’s manufacturing experience, Workhorse founder Steve Burns said in a statement.

Related

Workhorse, which is based in Cincinnati, has developed electric trucks and vans for commercial applications. The company is currently building its NGEN-1000 electric delivery van at an existing Midwest factory and is partnering with UPS to develop electric vans for the shipping giant. Workhorse is also developing a plug-in hybrid pickup truck called the W-15 (pictured above).

While Workhorse is eyeing the Lordstown factory for the production of terrestrial vehicles, it also has a couple of aviation projects in the works. The company started a drone-delivery pilot program in Ohio in 2018 and is working to get the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a manned electric octocopter called the SureFly. Powered by eight electric motors, Workhorse claims the SureFly can stay aloft for up to 2.5 hours, and reach a top speed of 70 knots (80.5 mph).

GM has plans for more of its own electric vehicles, they just don’t involve the Lordstown factory. The automaker recently confirmed that it will develop an electric pickup truck. Unlike the pickup Workhorse is considering building at Lordstown, it would likely be aimed at commercial sales. GM is also investing $300 million and adding 400 jobs at the Michigan factory that builds the Chevrolet Bolt EV in preparation for the launch of a new electric car. Cadillac will also get its first all-electric model and SUV.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
GMC poured all of its truck-making expertise into the Sierra EV pickup
A 2024 GMC Sierra EV towing an Airstream trailer.

The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks are twins, and that will continue to be the case when they go electric.
Chevy unveiled its Silverado EV at CES 2022, and now it’s GMC’s turn. The 2024 GMC Sierra EV borrows some key features from its Chevy sibling, as well GMC’s first electric truck — the Hummer EV. Some of those features were actually pioneered by General Motors two decades ago on non-electric trucks, and are now making a comeback.
You can reserve a Sierra EV now, but deliveries aren’t scheduled to start until early calendar-year 2024. Production starts with a high-end Denali Edition 1 model, with other versions arriving for the 2025 model year.

Design
The Sierra EV updates the design language of the internal-combustion GMC Sierra for the electric age. A big grille is no longer needed for cooling, but it’s still an important styling element that designers didn’t want to break away from, Sharon Gauci, GMC executive director of global design, explained to Digital Trends and other media in an online briefing ahead of the truck’s reveal. The grille shape is now outlined in lights, with an illuminated GMC logo.
Like the Hummer EV and Silverado EV, the Sierra EV uses GM’s Ultium modular battery architecture which, among other things, means the battery pack is an integral part of the structure. So unlike most other trucks — including the rival Ford F-150 Lightning — the Sierra EV doesn’t have a separate frame. The cab and bed are one piece as well, all of which helps increase structural rigidity.
The Sierra EV also borrows the Midgate setup from the Silverado EV. First seen on the Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT in the early 2000s, it allows the bulkhead and glass behind the cab to be removed, effectively extending the bed. Combined with the fold-out MultiPro tailgate from the internal-combustion Sierra, it can expand the default 5.0-foot, 11-inch bed length to 10 feet, 10 inches. A frunk (GMC calls it the “eTrunk”) provides covered storage space as well.
Because it’s pitched as a premium vehicle, the Sierra EV gets upscale interior materials like open-pore wood trim and stainless steel speaker grilles for its Bose audio system. But the design itself, with a freestanding portrait touchscreen and rectangular instrument cluster, looks suspiciously similar to the Ford Mustang Mach-E cabin. The touchscreen even has the same big volume knob as the Ford. We hope GMC’s lawyers are ready.

Read more
Tesla’s electric Semi truck coming sooner than expected
tesla electric semi truck debut delivery rec

Tesla boss Elon Musk has said the 500-mile-range version of the company’s all-electric Semi truck will start shipping before the end of this year.

The launch date is earlier than expected after the CEO said in January that the company wouldn’t be introducing any new vehicles this year, suggesting that the truck would land some time in 2023.

Read more
Cadillac Lyriq first drive review: Electric manifesto
Front three quarter view of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV.

The 2023 Cadillac Lyriq feels like it’s taken forever to arrive, and not just because Cadillac first showed it almost two years ago. This electric SUV is also a big step toward fulfilling General Motors’ EV potential.

GM showed that it could be a leader in electrification with the Chevrolet Bolt EV, but never seemed confident enough in the little electric hatchback to aggressively promote it. The GMC Hummer EV debuted GM’s next-generation Ultium tech, but in the form of a four-wheeled vanity project targeting a small market niche.

Read more