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Lordstown Endurance pickup truck

Discussion in 'Electric Vehicles' started by uujjj2, Oct 28, 2020.

  1. uujjj2

    uujjj2 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2020
    Messages:
    228
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Lordstown Motors just went public via a SPAC transaction, so I finally checked out their product.

    Lordstown Motors Corp. | Electric Work Vehicles | Lordstown, OH, USA

    [​IMG]

    Let me first say I'm a fan of what Lordstown Motors is trying to do. I really want this company to succeed. This company's success would be good for the environment, for the US auto industry, and for the Midwest.

    The Lordstown plant is from the same generation of GM assembly plants as the GM Fremont plant, which of course is now the Tesla Fremont plant.

    Some of the technical choices on the Endurance pickup seem odd to me. They are using hub motors. I'm familiar with hub motors from building solar cars. The advantage of hub motors is efficiency and mechanical simplicity, but they create a lot of headaches. It increases the unsprung mass, hurting ride and handling. The motor is exposed to the elements, which can hurt reliability and expose it to damage in minor crashes. You need to run high voltage cables to the motor, and those cables dangling under the car's body are a potential point of failure.

    If you run liquid cooling to the motors, the exposed hosing is another potential point of failure. If you use air cooling, that limits the sustained power output, especially in hot weather. I'm guessing they're using air cooling which is why their sustained torque is so much lower than peak and why their towing capacity is so-so.

    You would use hub motors if you are going for maximum efficiency (as on a solar car). But the biggest efficiency hammer on an EV is aerodynamics. I don't understand why you'd use hub motors but not optimize the shape for aero.

    They appear to be using a leaf spring suspension and a sort of non-live solid axle. I'm not sure why they're running a metal tube between the rear wheels if they're using independent hub motors on the wheels.

    They're using a ladder frame chassis, which is a good choice for this application, but the space for the battery pack is unnecessarily narrow. They could surely have made the battery larger.

    Anyone here have thoughts on the Lordstown pickup?
     
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  2. ThomasD

    ThomasD Member

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2019
    Messages:
    827
    Location:
    florida
    I couldn't find the specs of the truck how do they compare to the F 150? That plastic front is ugly rest of the truck looks ok
    2020 Ford F-150 Lariat
    Pickup truck


    Description
    84% · J.D. Power

    Model: 2020 Ford F-150
    MSRP: From $43,250
    Towing capacity: 5,000 to 7,000 lbs
    Payload: 1,694 to 2,137 lbs
    Range in miles (cty/hwy) 390.0/546.0 mi
     
  3. uujjj2

    uujjj2 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2020
    Messages:
    228
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    The Lordstown starts at $52.5k, so price wise it's very competitive with the F-150 after tax credits. The AWD Lordstown has specs very similar to the RWD Cybertruck (range, towing, bed size, payload) and a (post tax) price right in between a RWD and AWD Cybertruck. So price wise Lordstown is right on the mark.
     
  4. Brando

    Brando Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2016
    Messages:
    2,841
    Location:
    Bainbridge Island, WA
    Just another example of our failings, I guess.

    I agree with all your comments - clever engineering might help - on a light vehicle, but a 4 door pick up? Perhaps this is just a Van replacement - and Mom will be happy.

    Looks like they are on top of the Wall St. scam - Must have hired Nikola consultants?
     
  5. uujjj2

    uujjj2 Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Looks like Lordstown's powertrain supplier is Elaphe (Solutions - Elaphe) and from the published specs I'm guessing the motor is the Elaphe L1500.
     
  6. uujjj2

    uujjj2 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2020
    Messages:
    228
    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    TEN 292 - The "In" wheels - Elaphe

    From the brief shots inside the factory, it looks a lot like NUMMI did before Tesla. NUMMI was almost completely stripped down and little more than an empty building when Tesla got it, but it looks like GM gave away the Lordstown plant largely intact.
     

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