Photo: Lordstown Motors
Lordstown Motors is delivering a much-welcome dose of transparency regarding what happened at the SCORE San Felipe 250 race on April 17, which saw the Endurance e-truck bow out after just 40 miles (64.3 km).
In February, Lordstown announced with much fanfare that an off-road version of the Endurance electric pickup truck would attempt to complete the single-loop 290-mile (467-km) race in Baja California, Mexico, one of the toughest off-road races out there. The focus would not be on completing the race in a short time since the Endurance would need recharging along the way. Instead, they would focus on testing the in-wheel hub motors and battery technology and using the data to improve the production version. That one is expected to start deliveries in September 2021.
The Endurance entered the race and bowed out of it after 40 miles (64.3 km). The initial response from Lordstown was that they had decided to retire without offering an explanation, and that they were satisfied with how the truck had performed.
In a new update and video, both of which you will find at the bottom of the page, Lordstown CEO Steve Burns sets the record straight: no matter what you may have heard or read online, the Endurance did not encounter technical issues. It did not break down, and it did not come apart. It performed excellently and would have continued on with the race had it not been for an underestimate of battery drainage.
To put it simply, the Endurance was retired from the race because the difficult terrain (elevation and sand), the heat, and the big wheels drained the battery faster than they expected. “In our pre-race estimates, we assumed a 3X energy usage compared to normal road conditions at 200 ft. elevation. Following stage 1, however, our data showed consumption at 4 times the normal level,” Lordstown says.
Having completed stage 1 of the race and stopping to recharge, Lordstown realized the truck wouldn’t have enough battery to make it to the second charging station at the end of stage 2—meaning another 65 miles (105 km) at a much higher elevation. So, to prevent causing disruptions on the racecourse in the mountains, the Endurance was sent back to the start line. On the way there, they got 10 more miles (16 km) of off-road testing.
While Lordstown would have liked to complete at least another race stage, there’s always next year. For the time being, they’re happy with the fact that all mechanicals on the truck met and even exceeded their expectations.
The Endurance entered the race and bowed out of it after 40 miles (64.3 km). The initial response from Lordstown was that they had decided to retire without offering an explanation, and that they were satisfied with how the truck had performed.
In a new update and video, both of which you will find at the bottom of the page, Lordstown CEO Steve Burns sets the record straight: no matter what you may have heard or read online, the Endurance did not encounter technical issues. It did not break down, and it did not come apart. It performed excellently and would have continued on with the race had it not been for an underestimate of battery drainage.
To put it simply, the Endurance was retired from the race because the difficult terrain (elevation and sand), the heat, and the big wheels drained the battery faster than they expected. “In our pre-race estimates, we assumed a 3X energy usage compared to normal road conditions at 200 ft. elevation. Following stage 1, however, our data showed consumption at 4 times the normal level,” Lordstown says.
Having completed stage 1 of the race and stopping to recharge, Lordstown realized the truck wouldn’t have enough battery to make it to the second charging station at the end of stage 2—meaning another 65 miles (105 km) at a much higher elevation. So, to prevent causing disruptions on the racecourse in the mountains, the Endurance was sent back to the start line. On the way there, they got 10 more miles (16 km) of off-road testing.
While Lordstown would have liked to complete at least another race stage, there’s always next year. For the time being, they’re happy with the fact that all mechanicals on the truck met and even exceeded their expectations.
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