BGL announces the merger of Lordstown Motors Corporation with DiamondPeak Holdings Corporation in a transaction valued over $1.6 billion
Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the merger of Lordstown Motors Corporation (Lordstown Motors), an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the world’s first all-electric pickup truck serving the commercial fleet market, with DiamondPeak Holdings Corporation (DiamondPeak), a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). BGL’s Industrials team served as financial advisor to Lordstown Motors. The combined entity will trade on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol “RIDE.”
Lordstown Motors is an Ohio-based OEM that designs and manufactures all-electric, light duty fleet vehicles. In November 2019, the company acquired the Lordstown Complex, formerly a General Motors Corporation (GM) factory. Lordstown Motors will use the site to build the Endurance™, its flagship product believed to be the industry’s first fully-electric full-size pickup truck designed specifically to serve the commercial fleet market.
The electric powertrain Endurance delivers the equivalent of 75 miles per gallon, an estimated 250 miles per charge, and an anticipated 7,500-pound towing capacity, all of which has been systematically engineered and competitively priced for large commercial fleets. The Endurance is equipped with hub motors and software in a seamless integration that delivers a “motor and mind” in each wheel. This simplicity results in just four moving parts in the drivetrain, as compared to more than 2,000 in vehicles utilizing a traditional internal combustion engine. The design significantly increases reliability, maximizes performance, and reduces total cost of ownership.
The $1.6 billion transaction provides Lordstown Motors with $675 million of gross proceeds that will be used to fund production of the Endurance and its innovative in-wheel electric hub motor design. The financing and concurrent listing was achieved through a merger with the DiamondPeak SPAC, and a $500 million fully committed PIPE, which includes $75 million of investments by GM, in addition to investments from leading institutional investors such as Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Wellington Management Company LLP, Federated Hermes Kaufmann Small Cap Fund, and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, among others.
This transaction furthers BGL’s deep experience in — and ongoing commitment to — the Automotive and Industrial Technology sectors, and is the firm’s most recent transaction within the Electric Vehicle (EV) space. BGL’s professionals and affiliates have completed more than 100 transactions in the automotive sector globally.