Photo: Joe Burrow / Instagram
Paid partnerships are pretty straightforward when you’re a celebrity. You receive money so that various brands can associate themselves with your image. Some of these collaborations are more interesting than others though, and a story that sort of got lost in the ether was how Cincinnati Bengals superstar quarterback Joe Burrow decided to help promote Lordstown Motors and their “upcoming” EV pickup.
What’s funny now is that back in 2020 when Burrow signed on the dotted line, he posted the following message: “I’m proud to announce my partnership with Lordstown Motors: makers of the first all-electric pickup truck, the Endurance.”
Sorry, Joe, but technically it was Rivian that put the world’s first fully electric pickup into production. I’m talking about the R1T, of course. Then came the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning and so on.
Meanwhile, the Lordstown Endurance, which sounds more like a seafaring ship from one of the houses in Game of Thrones, has yet to enter production. Curiously, the EV startup did bring one to the 2022 Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, from where it somehow ended up being nominated for North American Truck of the Year, even though no customer cars have been made.
Burrow then went on to add in his message: “This partnership is something that hits close to home for me. For Ohio & American workers, Lordstown represents more sustainable opportunities for people, both in the new economy it is bringing to the area and the positive effects a zero emissions work truck will have on the environment.”
We appreciate the good intentions, although Lordstown is nowhere near Cincinnati. In fact, it’s a lot closer to Cleveland, even Columbus. Heck, it’s closer to Pittsburgh, PA than it is to Cincinnati, so it’s not like the Bengals star is promoting a “local manufacturer”.
Anyway, Burrow visited the Lordstown Motors factory more recently, meeting with company leaders and employees. He was ultimately impressed with the Endurance, which to be fair, isn’t that hard to believe.
According to the EV startup, the Endurance is on track to enter production before the end of this year.
Sorry, Joe, but technically it was Rivian that put the world’s first fully electric pickup into production. I’m talking about the R1T, of course. Then came the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning and so on.
Meanwhile, the Lordstown Endurance, which sounds more like a seafaring ship from one of the houses in Game of Thrones, has yet to enter production. Curiously, the EV startup did bring one to the 2022 Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, from where it somehow ended up being nominated for North American Truck of the Year, even though no customer cars have been made.
Burrow then went on to add in his message: “This partnership is something that hits close to home for me. For Ohio & American workers, Lordstown represents more sustainable opportunities for people, both in the new economy it is bringing to the area and the positive effects a zero emissions work truck will have on the environment.”
We appreciate the good intentions, although Lordstown is nowhere near Cincinnati. In fact, it’s a lot closer to Cleveland, even Columbus. Heck, it’s closer to Pittsburgh, PA than it is to Cincinnati, so it’s not like the Bengals star is promoting a “local manufacturer”.
Anyway, Burrow visited the Lordstown Motors factory more recently, meeting with company leaders and employees. He was ultimately impressed with the Endurance, which to be fair, isn’t that hard to believe.
According to the EV startup, the Endurance is on track to enter production before the end of this year.
Google News