Lordstown Endurance First Drive – Back to the Basics
By Edward A. Sanchez — Jan. 5, 2023
For years, automotive journalists have decried full-size trucks’ evolution from basic workhorses to leather-lined luxury haulers. Top-line half-tons go for well over $90,000 in many cases, and it’s not difficult to crest the six-figure mark when you’re talking about HD models. Yet the few reviews I’ve read so far of the Lordstown Endurance criticize the truck for being “not as quick as the Lightning” and “bare bones.” So which is it? Do you want a back-to-basics hauler, or a luxurious cocoon with all the indulgent comforts and conveniences of luxury sedans?
The Lordstown Endurance is in many ways a refreshing return to what pickups have been for most of their existence; tools of the trade, with an eye toward durability and simplicity. In that context, the Endurance fits its mission perfectly.
In its current iteration, it comes in one form: Crew cab, all-wheel drive, fleet white, and cloth seats. The steering wheel is simple textured plastic and there are no leather wrapping or wood inlays. There’s no power seats, and no embedded audio system – just Bluetooth music from the user’s phone. The back seat does have a USB-C, USB-A, 12 volt, and 120 volt AC outlet. The interior materials feel durable and sturdy, if not particularly luxurious. There are redundant controls for HVAC both on the center touchscreen and knobs and buttons in the center console.
The interior of the Lordstown Endurance is simple and efficient, offering only the essentials.
The bed is made of composite material, and the tailgate is dampened. Like GM trucks, it has corner steps on the rear bumper.
One somewhat puzzling stylistic and functional decision was the placement of the charging port directly in the middle of the “grille.” Although the Endurance has a fairly generously sized “frunk,” it does not have the cut-down that the F-150 Lightning does, allowing for waist-level loading and access. The representatives on hand said this design decision was based on feedback from fleet owners, who wanted easy pull-in access to charging.
Driving around on city streets, the Endurance did not feel underpowered by any measure. The four hub motors deliver 440 hp and a vaguely defined claim of 4,971 lb-ft of torque. GM tried to do the same with a claim of 11,500 lb-ft of torque on the GMC Hummer EV. We don’t know what the reduction gear ratio is on the motors, or exactly how the figure was calculated.
The Endurance’s “frunk” is more Rivian-like in that it doesn’t offer a front cutaway. This, Lordstown explained, is because fleet buyers preferred the utility of a front charging port.
The truck has preliminary towing and payload ratings of 8,000 pounds, and 1,050 pounds, respectively. Neither figure is admittedly world-beating. But again, based on feedback from the target customers, probably plenty for most of their needs. Integrated 4- and 7-pin harnesses are built in to the back bumper, as is a 2-inch hitch receiver.
Many aspects of the Endurance are still to-be-determined.
The regenerative braking function on the model I drove only had one setting. There was no “creep” mode as is offered in many EVs, although a developmental engineer that accompanied me on the drive said many aspects of the driving experience could be fine-tuned via over-the-air updates.
Lordstown said only about 30 models have actually been produced so far, and the company was non-committal in terms of longer-term unit production goals, as well as specific financing and pricing models.
For its intended mission and function as a work truck, the Endurance will likely fit many business’ needs. Although the company currently has no aspirations for making a consumer-oriented model, it is open to such a prospect at a future date.
Offering little more than a rear bumper step and a bed liner, the Lordstown Endurance promotes straightforward fleet-use function.
Not having driven an F-150 Lightning or Rivian R1-T, my frame of reference for the Endurance was based on my experience having driven multiple ICE full-size pickup trucks, from basic to luxurious trims. From that metric, the Endurance’s performance and function seemed plenty competent. Its simplicity and straightforwardness make it attractive certainly to fleet owners, but even to a certain sub-set of personal-use buyers.
While I’m not going to armchair-quarterback the Endurance’s long-term odds, I can say having driven it, that it is indeed a real, fully-formed, legitimate product. The Endurance definitely has a combination of attributes that make it a very attractive proposition to a certain segment of the truck market. The question is, are there enough fleet buyers willing to take the plunge.
(Images by Edward A. Sanchez)
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