Legislation would allow direct Endurance fleet sales

New Ohio legislation specific to Lordstown Motors would allow the sale of its electric truck, Endurance, direct to fleet customers.

Ohio law now generally does not allow direct sales of vehicles.

Independent auto dealers voiced reservation about the proposal ä saying other major auto manufacturers already do business successfully within the state.

Legislation will be co-sponsored by state Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, and Rep. Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, to permit sales of the Endurance directly to fleet customers.

“The genesis behind it is Ohio built, to Ohio strong, to Ohio Endurance,”ã Rulli said during a Wednesday news conference at the statehouse in Columbus.Lordstown Motors general counsel Thomas Canepa said that the trucks would be sold in batches to customers buying the electric vehicles for fleets.

Fleets have teams of mechanics and repair regimens, Canepa said, which is a reason for this business model.

The vehicles will not be available for consumer purchases for a couple of years, as the company is focusing on meeting the commercial demand, ranging from utilities, municipalities to service companies.

The proposed carve out would not hinder auto dealers, as the company does not have dealers right now, proponents of the legislation said.

“Our model doesn’t work for the traditional franchised dealer partnership so this narrow legislation simply allows us to sell our fleet-focused and Ohio-made vehicles in Ohio,” Canepa said.

The Endurance will be the first electric pickup truck to be manufactured and sold in the United States.

There are rules in Ohio about how vehicles are sold, Loychik said. But he said EVs, “are different,” therefore different sales models are needed.