Foxconn is investing another $70 million in Ohio’s Lordstown Motors to pursue revamped ‘EV program’
Global tech company Foxconn has announced it will invest at least another $70 million and up to $170 million total in EV startup Lordstown Motors. Foxconn’s $70M investment in Common Stock shares of Lordstown will help the company with its corporate strategy, while the two parties are shifting their previously announced $100 million joint venture into a Preferred Stock investment that will fund a “new EV program” run within Lordstown Motors instead.
Lordstown Motors Corp. ($RIDE) is an EV startup with a short but colorful history. The company swung for the fences early, as it hyped up its first vehicle – the Endurance pickup truck. With over 100,000 reported reservations in place, there was a lot to be initially excited about.
However, the Lordstown hype train began to slow down after one of the Endurance prototypes caught fire in early 2021, quickly followed by a less-than-stellar performance at the San Felipe 250, due to incorrect estimates of the pickup’s energy consumption.
By October 2021, the startup was shopping around its Ohio manufacturing plant with hopes that someone with more capital would come in and help build the Endurance EV. Chinese manufacturing expert Foxconn inevitably answered the call, completing the sale this past May alongside news of an $100 million investment in Lordstown Motors to form a EV joint venture.
As Endurance pickups begin to roll off assembly lines in Ohio, Foxconn has announced further investment in Lordstown Motors and is shifting some of those previously announced funds into stock to form a new EV development strategy.
Foxconn ups its ante in Lordstown Motors to build new EVs
According to a press release from Lordstown Motors Corp. (LMC) today, Foxconn Ventures Pte. Ltd. has agreed to invest up to $170 million in the EV business in exchange for stock, board seats, and other terms. Here’s how the new agreement breaks down.
Foxconn will make additional equity investments in LMC in the form of $70 million of the latter’s Class A common stock ($0.0001 par value per share) and up to $100 million of a newly created Series A Convertible Preferred Stock ($0.0001 par value per share). Per the release:
Upon completion of the Investment Transactions, Foxconn is expected to hold all of LMC’s outstanding Preferred Stock and 18.3% of its Common Stock on a pro-forma basis, and will have the right to designate two members of LMC’s Board of Directors.
Lordstown Motors shared that it intends to use the proceeds from the Common Stock sale for “general corporate purposes,” while the proceeds from the sale of the Preferred Stock to Foxconn will fund development and design under a “new electric vehicle program.” The companies explained that Foxconn’s $100 million direct Preferred Stock investment will replace the $100 joint venture funding promised earlier this year:
Termination of Existing JV Arrangement: LMC and Foxconn have agreed to terminate the existing joint venture arrangement between Lordstown EV Corporation and Foxconn EV Technology, Inc. The EV Program and future vehicle development are expected to take place within LMC.
The agreement is expected to complete an initial closing around November 22 and will include a number of terms like voting and participation rights, plus board representation of two Foxconn designees. Lordstown’s Endurance pickup is expected to go on sale before year’s end and could soon be joined by additional EV models under the new development program funded by Foxconn.
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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