Lordstown Motors announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Elaphe Propulsion Technologies for in-wheel hub motors.
The company plans to produce the in-wheel hub motors for the Lordstown Endurance electric pickup truck at its huge Lordstown plant in Ohio (by Lordstown's employees with support from Elaphe). The first units, seen in alpha prototypes/skateboard, were also supplied by Elaphe.
Elaphe will develop a specific L-1500 Endurance In-Wheel Motor model for the Endurance, which needs four of them for all-wheel-drive with a system output of 600 hp (roughly 440 kW) total.
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The production of in-wheel motors at Lordstown will begin within the next six months, which would be just a few months ahead of the production start of the vehicles, scheduled for January 2021 (previously December 2020).
"Initial set-up of the 20,000 square foot production line, which Elaphe will help manage and support, has already begun, and while the project will take 9 months to get to full production capacity, Lordstown will begin using the new lines within the next 6 months for beta testing and pre-production vehicles. Every Lordstown Endurance that rolls off the line will use Elaphe Model L-1500 Endurance In-Wheel Motors built in the Ohio plant."
"In addition to providing the technology for the in-wheel hub motors, Elaphe will also provide engineering support, technical assistance and consulting services throughout the project. Financial terms are not being disclosed."
Steve Burns, Lordstown Motors CEO said:
“Our relationship with Elaphe goes back over a decade, and their commitment to Lordstown Motors Corp. and passion for the Lordstown Endurance is stronger than ever. The caliber of work they’ve produced is some of the best and most innovative in the industry; we’re proud of the work we’ve done together up to this point and enthusiastic about what’s to come.”
Gorazd Lampič, Elaphe CEO said:
“While most vehicle manufacturers are focusing merely on catching up and competing with legacy electric powertrain technologies pioneered decades ago by pure-EV OEMs, Lordstown is making a giant leap forward by building its vehicles around the needs of their users and not around the traditional powertrain-integration-imposed tradeoffs. We strongly believe that the packaging, modularity, redundancy and advanced functions of vehicle control that Elaphe hub motors enable are key to delivering torque in the way a true 4WD should be done. We are proud to be part of what Lordstown is trying to achieve – the evolution of the vehicle into a reliable work tool, a functional workspace and a worker’s best friend in the field.”
Gallery: Lordstown Motors Endurance
2020 Lordstown Endurance info:
- at least 200 miles (320 km) of EPA range
- probably more than 70 kWh battery (roughly 6,000 cylindrical cells per pack)
- top speed of 80 mph (128 km/h)
- all-wheel drive with 4 in-wheel hub motors
- system output of 600 hp (roughly 440 kW)
- AC charging in 10 hours (7 kW, up to 95% SOC)
- DC charging in 0.5-1.5 hour
- Off-board power for tools and accessory (stationary) 3.6 kW (120V, 30 A)
- seating for 5
- towing capacity of 6,000 lbs (2,721 kg)
- Gradeability at GVW of 30%
- starting from $52,500 ($45,000 after deducting federal tax credit of $7,500)
Lordstown Motors Corp. Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement with Elaphe Propulsion Technologies for Endurance™ In-Wheel Hub Motors; Motors Will Be Built by Lordstown Motors Employees in Ohio Factory
LORDSTOWN, OH – May 12, 2020 – Lordstown Motors Corp., a new Ohio-based original equipment manufacturer of light-duty, fully-electric fleet vehicles, has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Elaphe Propulsion Technologies™. As a developer and producer of high-tech propulsion technology, Elaphe will develop the Model L-1500 Endurance In-Wheel Motor which will be used in the Lordstown Endurance. As part of the agreement, motors for Lordstown vehicles will be built by Lordstown Motors Corp. employees at the company’s Ohio headquarters.
“Our relationship with Elaphe goes back over a decade, and their commitment to Lordstown Motors Corp. and passion for the Lordstown Endurance is stronger than ever,” said Steve Burns, Lordstown Motors CEO. “The caliber of work they’ve produced is some of the best and most innovative in the industry; we’re proud of the work we’ve done together up to this point and enthusiastic about what’s to come.”
Initial set-up of the 20,000 square foot production line, which Elaphe will help manage and support, has already begun, and while the project will take 9 months to get to full production capacity, Lordstown will begin using the new lines within the next 6 months for beta testing and pre-production vehicles. Every Lordstown Endurance that rolls off the line will use Elaphe Model L-1500 Endurance In-Wheel Motors built in the Ohio plant.
“While most vehicle manufacturers are focusing merely on catching up and competing with legacy electric powertrain technologies pioneered decades ago by pure-EV OEMs, Lordstown is making a giant leap forward by building its vehicles around the needs of their users and not around the traditional powertrain-integration-imposed tradeoffs,” says Gorazd Lampič, Elaphe CEO. “We strongly believe that the packaging, modularity, redundancy and advanced functions of vehicle control that Elaphe hub motors enable are key to delivering torque in the way a true 4WD should be done. We are proud to be part of what Lordstown is trying to achieve – the evolution of the vehicle into a reliable work tool, a functional workspace and a worker’s best friend in the field.”
In addition to providing the technology for the in-wheel hub motors, Elaphe will also provide engineering support, technical assistance and consulting services throughout the project. Financial terms are not being disclosed.