Skip to main content

Everything you need to know about the Lordstown Endurance

Born from the ashes of a former General Motors factory, Lordstown Motors developed the Endurance to compete in the burgeoning electric pickup truck segment. While many of the battery-powered trucks announced in 2020 put a big focus on adventure, the Endurance was developed primarily for fleet operators. It’s more at home taking a crew of workers to fix a power line after a storm than taking a family of four on a weekend camping trip off the grid.

Lordstown hasn’t launched Endurance production yet; the truck shown in our images is a preproduction prototype. It plans to manufacture about 20,000 pickups in 2021 in the Lordstown, Ohio, factory it purchased from General Motors, and it has started taking reservations. As the firm prepares to start production, we’re looking at the Endurance’s specifications, features, and price. Keep in mind these numbers might change in the coming months.

Recommended Videos

What is it?

Lordstown Endurance
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lordstown took a more conventional approach to designing an electric pickup than Tesla and Rivian. Nothing about the Endurance is intentionally shocking or off-beat; it looks like a standard pickup that just happens to be electric. It wears a tall front end with air vents on either side of and below a body-colored insert. Out back, it receives thin horizontal lights that stretch into the tailgate, and steps integrated into the bumper. Its silhouette falls in line with what you expect from a four-door pickup. If you ask us, the coolest part of the truck’s design is the alloy wheels.

What’s it like inside?

Lordstown Endurance interior
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lordstown hasn’t revealed the truck’s interior yet, but a design sketch suggests it receives a function-oriented dashboard with a wide screen that combines the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. We don’t see many buttons, so most functions are likely accessible via the screen, and the driver sits in front of a four-spoke steering wheel. The Endurance seats five passengers, and it offers a generously sized storage bin under the front armrest.

What’s under the sheet metal?

Lordstown Endurance
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lordstown developed the technology that powers the Endurance in-house. Instead of putting one electric motor over each axle, which is the configuration used by a vast majority of electric cars sold in 2020, its engineers chose to give each wheel its own motor. This layout gives the truck a through-the-road four-wheel drive system, and allows each wheel to be controlled individually. The rest of its specifications are rather vague: on its website, the company quotes a 600-horsepower output (which is on par with many sports sedans), a top speed electronically limited to 80 mph, a 7,500-pound towing capacity, and up to 250 miles of range. Details about the battery pack haven’t been released yet.

How much will it cost?

Lordstown Endurance
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Pricing for the Lordstown Endurance starts at $52,500, though buyers will be eligible to claim a one-time tax credit of up to $7,500. Executives still haven’t figured out how to sell the truck, according to the Detroit Free Press. They could enlist a group of franchised dealers, or they might sell vehicles directly to consumers, Tesla-style.

When can I drive one?

Lordstown Endurance
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lordstown delayed production of the Endurance due to the coronavirus-related lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. This isn’t unusual; the pandemic turned the entire automotive industry on its head and wreaked havoc on start-ups. Deliveries are now scheduled to start in the summer of 2021, and the firm plans to build 20,000 trucks that year. It has received about 14,000 pre-orders as of writing, mostly from utility companies across the nation.

There’s a catch: Although you’ll theoretically be able to drive the Endurance in 2021, Lordstown stressed the truck is aimed at fleet operators, not private buyers. It’s not too far-fetched to speculate the company will sell trucks to private buyers sooner or later, especially as it expands its lineup, but it’s too early to tell when that will happen.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Rivian R1T gets estimated 410 miles of range with Dual-Motor powertrain, Max Pack battery
People and a dog standing in front of a Rivian R1T electric pickup truck.

The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck now gets 410 miles of range with the new Max Pack battery and Dual-Motor powertrain, the company claims.

Rivian posted range estimates for the Max Pack, which is not available with Rivian's Quad-Motor powertrain, on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday, but those haven't been confirmed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 410-mile range estimate applies to trucks with 21-inch wheels. Opting for 22-inch wheels knocks the estimated range down to 380 miles. The available 20-inch wheel and all-terrain tire combination — which helps maximize the R1T's impressive off-road capability — brings a further range reduction, to 355 miles.

Read more
Everything is bigger in Cadillac’s electric Escalade IQ
The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ on a city street.

The massive Cadillac Escalade isn't exactly the picture of environmental friendliness, but General Motors is committed to expanding electrification to all corners of its product lineup — and that includes Cadillac's big, three-row full-size SUV.

The all-electric 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ begins production next summer, applying the same formula from the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV pickup trucks to a full-size luxury SUV. The Escalade IQ uses the name of a current GM internal-combustion model, but is based on the automaker's Ultium EV component set, with an EV-specific body structure designed around a modular battery pack.
Texas-sized EV

Read more
The best electric cars you can buy in 2023
A red Tesla Model 3 at dusk.

Kicking your gasoline addiction is easier than ever in 2023, because electric cars are becoming increasingly common. They're not cheap, dinky golf carts, either. Whether you're looking for a high-performance sedan, a luxury car, or a humble crossover, there's a good chance you can find an electric car that suits your lifestyle. The Tesla Model 3 is the best electric car available because its technology is outstanding, it's stylish, and it's somewhat affordable, but there are other great options.
At a glance

Product
Category
Rating

Read more