Lordstown halts Endurance electric truck production amid recall for quality issues
Ohio-based EV manufacturer Lordstown Motors (RIDE) has hit another roadblock in its quest to bring its Endurance electric pickup to market. After several years of waiting, Lordstown says Endurance EV buyers will have to wait a little longer after announcing it will pause production amid a voluntary recall.
The news comes as a significant blow to Lordstown, which seemed to finally be getting on track after working tirelessly to bring its electric truck to market.
After going public on the NASDAQ exchange in 2020, many saw Lordstown as a promising young EV start-up with potential in the electric pickup segment. However, the excitement quickly faded after several costly mishaps, including an early prototype that caught fire in early 2021.
Things worsened after Lordstown’s CEO and CFO abruptly resigned in June 2021, sparking questions about the company’s ability to carry on.
Shortly after and in desperate need of cash, Lordstown announced it was selling its Ohio assembly plant to Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn, hoping it would spark life in the company and finally get the Endurance electric truck moving through production.
Despite the sale, Lordstown claimed it needed another $50 to $75 million to scale production on its second-quarter earnings as Foxconn stepped in again to revamp the program.
With the additional investment, Lordstown was able to begin production with the initial batch of 500 Endurance EV trucks leaving the plant last November. After several months of silence from Lordstown, the company is now issuing a voluntary recall as it pauses Endurance EV production.
Lordstown pauses Endurance EV production amid recall
Lordstown announced through a press release today it has experienced performance and quality issues with specific Endurance components that have led the company to halt production and deliveries.
The company is working with its suppliers to find the cause of the issue and potential solutions, which Lordstown says may include “design modifications, retrofits, and software updates.”
Lordstown has filed paperwork with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to voluntarily recall the Endurance EV truck, citing “a specific electrical connection issue that could result in loss of propulsion while driving.”
The company’s CEO and president, Edward Hightower, commented on the situation, saying:
While our experienced team has made significant progress in addressing the underlying component and vehicle sub-system issues affecting the Endurance build schedule, we remain committed to doing the right thing by our customers and to resolve potential issues before resuming production and customer shipments.
The recall affects 19 Endurance EVs that are either already delivered or used by Lordstown. Lordstown says it will provide a more detailed update on its upcoming earnings call on March 6, 2023.
Electrek’s Take
A recall at this stage is not a good look for Lordstown after already having its fair share of issues getting the truck to production.
Lordstown’s stock is down over 10% today on the news. The next few months will be crucial for Lordstown as they work to regain investor and consumer confidence in the brand. Whether the company will be able to overcome the challenges and claim its position in the rapidly expanding EV market remains to be seen.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Swedish multinational Sandvik says it’s successfully deployed a pair of fully autonomous Toro LH518iB battery-electric underground loaders at the New Gold Inc. ($NGD) New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada.
The heavy mining equipment experts at Sandvik say that the revolutionary new 18 ton loaders have been in service since mid-November, working in a designated test area of the mine’s “Lift 1” footwall. The mine’s operators are preparing to move the automated machines to the mine’s “C-Zone” any time now, putting them into regular service by the first of the new year.
“This is a significant milestone for Canadian mining, as these are North America’s first fully automated battery-electric loaders,” Sandvik said in a LinkedIn post. “(The Toro LH518iB’s) introduction highlights the potential of automation and electrification in mining.”
The company says the addition of the new heavy loaders will enable New Afton’s operations to “enhance cycle times and reduce heat, noise and greenhouse gas emissions” at the block cave mine – the only such operation (currently) in Canada.
Electrek’s Take
From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Sandvik are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.
The combined factors listed above are rapidly accelerating the rate at which machines that are already in service are becoming obsolete – and, while some companies are exploring the cost/benefit of converting existing vehicles to electric or, in some cases, hydrogen, the general consensus seems to be that more companies will be be buying more new equipment more often in the years ahead.
What’s more, more of that equipment will be more and more likely to be autonomous as time goes on.
We covered the market outlook for autonomous and electric mining equipment earlier this summer, and I posted an episode exploring the growing demand for electric equipment on an episode of Quick Charge I’ve embedded, below. Check it out, then let us know what you think of the future of electric mining in the comments.
More EVs means more mines, equipment
SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik, via LinkedIn.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
European logistics firm Contargo is adding twenty of Mercedes’ new, 600 km-capable eActros battery electric semi trucks to its trimodal delivery fleet, bringing zero-emission shipping to Germany’s hinterland.
With over 300 miles of all-electric range, the new Mercedes eActros 600 electric semi truck was designed for (what a European would call) long-haul trucking. Now, after officially entering production at the company’s Wörth plant in Bavaria last month, the eActros 600 is reaching its first customer: Contargo.
With the addition of the twenty new Mercedes, Contargo’s electric truck fleet has grown to 60 BEVs, with plans to increase that total to 90. And, according to Mercedes, Contargo is just the first.
The German truck company says it has plans to deliver fifty (50) of the 600 kWh battery-equipped electric semi trucks to German shipping companies by the close of 2024.
Contargo’s 20 eActros 600 trucks were funded in part by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport as part of a broader plan to replace a total of 86 diesel-engined commercial vehicles with more climate-friendly alternatives. The funding directive is coordinated by NOW GmbH, and the applications were approved by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility.
Electrek’s Take
Electric semi trucks are racking up millions of miles in the US, and abroad. As more and more pilot programs begin to pay off, they’re going to lead to more orders for battery electric trucks and more reductions in both diesel demand and harmful carbon emissions.
We can’t wait to see more.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Contargo, via Electrive.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Why tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Meta are betting big on nuclear power
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports9 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway