Lordstown turns focus to future EV based mostly on Foxconn platform

Because it continues to hunt an answer to the problem that led to February’s manufacturing halt and voluntary recall of its Endurance full-size electrical truck, Lordstown Motors has introduced a next-generation platform and automobile program.

Lordstown on Monday stated it’s working with contract producer Foxconn to develop the platform and a brand new industrial automobile. The Ohio-based EV startup described the platform and automobile as “key” to its long-term enterprise technique and stated they had been turning into a “larger portion” of its focus.

The announcement comes at a time Lordstown says it doubts it will probably “proceed as a going concern” until its will get “considerably extra” capital to develop its subsequent EV. It’s going to additionally want extra money to mass produce its Endurance truck past the five hundred models already deliberate.

The brand new automobile’s platform is deliberate to be derived from Foxconn’s modular EV platform often known as the MIH, which was first proven in 2020. Lordstown stated its new automobile will probably supply parts and subsystems from Foxconn and different suppliers linked to the MIH platform.

Foxconn, whereas greatest identified for being the producer of Apple’s iPhones, has lately been transferring into automotive improvement and manufacturing. It has additionally launched its personal EV model, Foxtron, and final yr previewed a handful of fashions for the model, together with a mid-size electrical truck referred to as the Mannequin V.

“Our asset-light enterprise mannequin and collaboration with the Foxconn EV ecosystem, together with MIH, will present the chance for Lordstown Motors to create profitable EVs which might be tailor-made to the wants of shoppers that use them for varied work functions, whereas gaining the associated fee advantages of scale,” Edward Hightower, Lordstown’s CEO, stated in an announcement.

Timing for the brand new automobile wasn’t talked about in Monday’s announcement. Nonetheless, Lordstown confirmed manufacturing will happen on the Ohio plant the corporate purchased from Basic Motors in 2019, and offered to Foxconn in 2021. The plant is the place Foxconn constructed the primary few examples of the Endurance below contract, earlier than manufacturing was halted on account of {an electrical} concern found in a number of the accomplished vehicles.

In its announcement, Lordstown stated it has a “line of sight to the decision of the problem” and expects to offer an replace within the coming weeks on when manufacturing and deliveries of the Endurance will resume. Lordstown stated 40 Endurance vehicles out of a deliberate preliminary batch of 500 vehicles had been constructed by way of February, of which six had been offered.