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.
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Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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