5 things to know about Workhorse, the Cincinnati-area company buying Lordstown GM plant

A Loveland company, Workhorse, is testing its delivery drone, HorseFly, around its own neighborhood. CONTRIBUTED BY WCPO-TV

A Loveland company, Workhorse, is testing its delivery drone, HorseFly, around its own neighborhood. CONTRIBUTED BY WCPO-TV

General Motors will sell its Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant to a producer of electric trucks, President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday.

It is based in Loveland

Its headquarters are at 100 Commerce Dr. in Loveland.

It makes vehicles and devices running on batteries and electric power

It is known for its work with electric trucks. CEO Duane Hughes said in a news release Tuesday that the company is transitioning from a development-oriented organization to a production-focused manufacturer, according to our news partner, WCPO.

It transitioned to electric truck development in 2016

The company had already done work in other delivery vehicles and drones, and it moved into the truck realm in 2016, according to trucks.com.

It has tested drone delivery technology

As of last summer, the company was testing drone delivery devices that would assist the truck drivers who are transporting goods. The driver and drone can deliver to two places on one stop, officials told WCPO.

“From a standard delivery truck, it takes about a dollar a mile to deliver a package,” Jeffrey Bennett, Workhorse Aerospace Project Manager, told WCPO in June 2018. “With the electric truck, it's about 34 cents a mile and with the drone it is about 4 cents a mile to deliver your package.”

It continues to focus on trucks

The company has cut its research and development expenses by 42 percent since the fourth quarter of 2017, according to first quarter financial results Workhorse released Tuesday reported by WCPO.

"In the more immediate term, we remain focused on our 'Trucks First' initiative, which has enabled us to make significant advances in all phases of the manufacturing process," Hughes said in the news release.

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