LORDSTOWN, Ohio — Lordstown Motors (LMC) has announced that it has resumed production and delivery of Endurance electric trucks after a pause of nearly two months.
In addition, LMC says it has entered into an agreement with Amerit to provide service and maintenance to Lordstown’s commercial fleet customers.
On Feb. 23, the company announced that it was suspending production and delivery of its Endurance electric trucks due to "performance and quality issues" with certain components. In addition, the company filed paperwork with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to voluntarily recall the Endurance "to address a specific electrical connection issue that could result in a loss of propulsion while driving."
The recall involved 19 Endurance trucks that were either in the hands of customers or being used internally by the company.
Even with its resumption, LMC admitted in a statement Tuesday that production and deliveries "are expected to continue at a very low pace." Last month, LMC CEO and President Edward Hightower reiterated the company's plan for an initial batch of up to 500 Endurance vehicles to be produced in 2023. He said 40 vehicles have been completed or are "in process," with six having been sold so far.
Hightower also said last month that because of the costs involved, another pause on the production of the Endurance could take place if LMC is unable to obtain a partnership with another manufacturer.
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Under the terms of the agreement, LMC and Amerit will jointly provide EV service and warranty for the Endurance as well as future vehicles developed by Lordstown in collaboration with the Foxconn EV ecosystem.
“Amerit is a perfect fit with Lordstown because it is a well-established service provider to the fleet and commercial industry with experience in the service and maintenance of EVs,” said Hightower in a statement. “Our vehicles and connectivity features, combined with Amerit’s mobile service network and innovative maintenance solutions, provide Lordstown with the ability to offer a comprehensive and customized EV experience for our fleet customers.”
Amerit is working on a "strategic rollout" of service locations aligned with Lordstown’s launch plan for initial fleet customers. Prior to the launch of services, Amerit service technicians will complete an extensive safety training program as well as Lordstown’s training curriculum for the Endurance and other future vehicles.
“Lordstown is an innovative EV company serving the commercial fleet market, and we look forward to supporting their customers by offering service programs across the US,” said Amerit CEO Dan Williams. “With over 1,800 trained and certified technicians across the country, our customized approach to service programs, and our expertise in providing EV maintenance solutions, we believe that Amerit is ideally suited to rapidly scale services to Lordstown’s Endurance customers and vehicle programs in the future.”