As if trying to assert dominance in a prison-yard hierarchy, electric-truck makers are lining up to take on the biggest name in the business.
Repeating a stunt staged by Tesla with the Cybertruck, Lordstown Motors on Wednesday released a video showing its Endurance electric pickup truck in a tug of war with a Ford F-150—not only the bestselling pickup truck in the United States, but the bestselling vehicle, period.
The Endurance won handily, easily pulling the F-150 as the gasoline pickup spun its wheels in futility.
Billed as a test of traction, the tug of war was staged on wet grass, with traction control turned off in both vehicles, according to Lordstown.
A 2019 Ford F-150 Lariat EcoBoost was used, with the truck in four-wheel drive and low range selected, according to Lordstown. However, the company didn't specify whether it had the 325-horsepower 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 that was standard on the Lariat trim level for 2019, or the optional 375-hp 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which both get EcoBoost branding.
The Endurance is powered by four in-wheel hub motors, producing a combined 600 horsepower, Lordstown previously said, promising that they will also help enable the off-road capability many pickup buyers expect.
Lordstown Endurance
The motors were designed by Slovenian firm Elaphe, but will be built under license by Lordstown at the same Ohio factory complex as the Endurance.
The motors look a bit like old-fashioned drum brakes—to easily bolt to existing suspension systems. Moving the motors out to the hubs potentially provides extra space within a vehicle's footprint, but could also increase unsprung weight, affecting ride quality and handling.
Ride and handling may not be major concerns for the Endurance, which is aimed at fleet buyers, but in-wheel hub motors also seem more exposed to damage in the rough-and-tumble environments the truck is designed for.
For the battery pack, Lordstown plans to use cylindrical 2170-format cells, with enough capacity for a 250-mile range. The Endurance's body-on-frame platform could also support an SUV, Lordstown CEO Steve Burns previously told Green Car Reports.
Meanwhile, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently said that the automaker's upcoming F-150 Electric would be "a workhorse, not a showhorse," indicating it may compete with the Endurance for fleet buyers.
When that model debuts, perhaps a rematch will be in order?