June 08, 2020
Hello again,
Lordstown Motors has made some excellent progress since I checked in last, and I continue to be grateful for the commitment and passion from the Lordstown community. I recently spoke with the Detroit Free Press about our plans for the factory and production of the Endurance, and today, I’m eager to share two more updates with you.
But first. In April, I said that, in the wake of the cancellation of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we were shifting our plans to unveil the first production-intent Endurance to a virtual event in Lordstown. I’m pleased to report that we will be introducing the Endurance at a Lordstown Motors company meeting the week of June 22nd, which we will be filming and releasing to the public before the month is up. It’s not how we’d envisioned unveiling the Endurance, but in the absence of being able to gather a large crowd to see it in-person, this is the next best thing.
Now, on to the other updates.
THE FACTORY IS COMING TO LIFE
Work throughout the factory complex continues to take leaps toward the finish line as we prepare for pre-production. Here’s what we’re working on:
- Battery Lines: We are currently finalizing the prototype vehicle battery; we have chosen the integrator and they have started the engineering of the equipment line. Our goal is to have a semi-automated line for pre-production at the plant later this year.
- Body Shop: We have the body shop integrator chosen, and they have started to mobilize on the engineering and structural work. The in-plant retooling process will start this week.
- Facility: We’re currently demoing lines not required for the electric vehicle and starting the infrastructure work required for our new lines. On the IT side, we are developing the plant and engineering needs, and finalizing the architecture.
- General Assembly: We have chosen the integrator for this area as well and have started the engineering on site.
- Motor Lines: As we previously shared, we have finalized our agreement with Elaphe. We’re starting the engineering of the manufacturing line at the plant, and we have demoed the areas for the new battery and motor lines – a total of 200,000 square feet to start.
- Paint: We have chosen the integrator, and they will start their work in mid-June. The pretreatment / electro-deposition contract started this week.
- Stamping: We have finalized the surfacing, and later this summer, we’ll start stamping a few of the tools on site in preparation for pre-production later this year.
The progress made so far is a testament to the fact that we started in a fully equipped 6 million square foot plant, which meant we were able to get to work right away creating the lines we need to build the Endurance.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Today, I’m happy to announce the first three members of the Lordstown Motors Corp. Board of Directors: Jane Reiss, Steve Schrader and Dale Spencer. We had our first meeting last week, and I’m grateful for their partnership, their support and the combined experience they bring to Lordstown Motors. Here’s a brief background on each of them:
- Jane is the Managing Partner of MerchantCantos in New York, NY. Most recently, she served as Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Brand Experience Officer of Grey, one of the world’s largest global advertising networks. Prior to joining Grey, Jane was CMO for NYC & Company the Marketing, Partnership and Travel organization that Mayor Bloomberg created for the City of New York.
- Steve is the Chief Financial Officer of Workhorse Group Inc. He has more than sixteen years of CFO experience in public and private companies in industries as diverse as manufacturing, health care, and utilities. Prior to joining Workhorse, Steve was CFO of Fuyao Glass America, a Dayton, OH-located subsidiary of a public company specializing in the manufacture of automobile glass.
- Dale is the former Vice President of Automotive Maintenance and Engineering at United Parcel Service (UPS). As Vice President, Dale led one of the largest and most dynamic fleets in North America with responsibilities for fleet duty cycles, maintenance and innovation. Dale currently serves as a technical advisor on the Board of Directors of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
We’re excited about the progress, and eager to introduce you to the Lordstown Endurance later this month.
Be safe. #RideWithLordstown.
Steve Burns
CEO