Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns showed off a couple of the beta frames for the Endurance pickup on Monday. He made the promise the first of these beta builds will be ready in 12 days, with production beginning in September.

"We are entering into, I think arguably the most competitive market on the planet, and that's the US pickup truck market," said Burns.

It's a market Burns is set on shaking up.
Inside the sprawling plant that for decades produced GM cars now sit the skeletons of the Endurance truck.

Ohio secretary of state Frank LaRose got an up close look at the test builds when he stopped by the plant for a tour and a company progress report.

"I'm a frequent visitor here to the Valley, I was over at Youngstown State meeting with president (Jim) Tressel...and didn't want to skip the chance to come here and do a tour of the facility and just here to learn about what they're doing," said LaRose.

What the company is doing has come under sudden scrutiny.
Last week came a report from independent research firm Hindenburg that Lordstown Motors misled investors, had no product, and had mostly fake orders.
This week - a firm rebuttal from Burns.

"I can't speak to the report but I can tell you two things - we're at betas in 10 days and we're going to start production of the world's first electric pickup," said Burns. "There are always haters...I quoted Taylor Swift to someone the other day, haters gonna hate, hate, hate...you gotta shake it off."

Burns and company leaders are set to hold a conference call with investors Wednesday afternoon.
In the meantime, he left them and us with a promise that Lordstown Motors will live up to the name 'endurance'.

"It's happening, that's all I can tell you."