American light-duty fleet vehicles manufacturer Lordstown Motors’ truck Endurance is set to roll down the assembly lines in September 2021, on track with its production forecast for the year.
The automaker issued this statement on Monday, following a report filed by North American forensic financial investigator Hindenburg on Mar 12 this year.
Hindenburg’s report questioned, among other factors, Lordstown’s H2 2021 target for the truck citing reasons like lack of battery pack and hub-motor manufacturing capabilities, recent changes in design, and failure to carry out necessary vehicle safety tests.
In its response on Jun 14, the carmaker noted that it has started the required testing for Endurance to be ready for a Q1 2022 delivery timeline.
Lordstown also added that it has sourced its battery from an external supplier and has enough stock for phase I installation, with more packs expected to arrive before the production date. As far as design changes are concerned, the Hindenburg report claimed that the company plans to use aluminum frames, but Lordstown reiterated that its plan to create the frame from steel is unchanged.
The company plans to produce its hub motors manually at present while an automated line installation is underway. This new line will be enough to support estimated 2021 and 2022 production volumes.
Lordstown had noted in its Q1 2021 financial release on May 24, that it had completed 48 of the 57 Endurance truck prototypes.