Staff report

LORDSTOWN — Lordstown Motors will introduce the Endurance electric truck at a Lordstown Motors Co. meeting the week of June 22, CEO Steve Burns said.

Burns shared an update on the company’s website.

In April, in the wake of the cancellation of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Burns said the company was changing its 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 22, 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,” Burns said.

He also noted that work throughout the factory complex in Lordstown, a former General Motors assembly plant, continues to take leaps toward the finish line as preparations are made for pre-production.

Lordstown Motors is finalizing the prototype vehicle battery. “Our goal is to have a semi-automated line for pre-production at the plant later this year,” Burns said.

The body shop’s in-plant retooling process will start this week.

In the factory, “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.

“Engineering for general assembly is happening and the company has finalized an 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,” Burns noted on the website.

Paint and stamping work also is moving ahead.

“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,” he said.

In other business, Burns announced the first three members of the Lordstown Motors Corp. Board of Directors: Jane Reiss, Steve Schrader and Dale Spencer.

Reiss is the managing partner of MerchantCantos in New York, N.Y. 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 & Co., the marketing, partnership and travel organization that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg created for the city of New York.

Schrader is the chief financial officer of Workhorse Group Inc. He has more than 16 years of CFO experience in public and private companies in industries as diverse as manufacturing, health care, and utilities. Prior to joining Workhorse, Schrader was CFO of Fuyao Glass America, a Dayton, Ohio-located subsidiary of a public company specializing in the manufacture of automobile glass.

Spencer is the former vice president of automotive maintenance and engineering at United Parcel Service. As vice president, Spencer led one of the largest and most dynamic fleets in North America with responsibilities for fleet duty cycles, maintenance and innovation. He currently serves as a technical adviser on the board of directors of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.

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