Montreal – Lion Electric has announced a new manufacturing plant for its electric vehicles will be in Joliet, Illinois. Production is set to begin in the second half of 2022.
The plant is established to be the largest manufacturing site for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the nation. The facility is expected to be 900,000 sq-ft. Lion has committed to investing at least USD $70 million over a 3-year period.
"Lion's historic investment to bring its largest production facility to Illinois represents not only a win for our communities, but a strong step forward in our work to expand clean energy alternatives and the jobs they bring to our communities," said Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The size of the plant will allow for a production capacity of up to 20,000 all-electric service trucks and buses. The mass production speeds up the process of the U.S. moving towards an all-electric, zero emission transportation country.
The Canadian company is also encouraged with the additional jobs that will be created. The facility is expected to add a minimum of 745 clean energy direct jobs to the region over the next 3 years.
Chief Executive Officer of Lion, Marc Bedard, spoke on the optimism the project presents, saying “This significant expansion into the U.S. market will not only allow us to drastically increase our overall manufacturing capacity of electric trucks and buses but to also better serve our customers, while adding critical clean manufacturing jobs that will form the backbone of the green economy."
Joliet, Illinois proves to be a favorable location for the plant. The city provides access to key infrastructure and distribution channels, and is a centralized base of manufacturing and operations. Lion hopes to associate Illinois as one of the leading green states.
"The new Joliet facility will put Illinois at the forefront of a national movement to transition to zero-emission vehicle use, advancing our own goals of putting one million of these cars on the road by 2030. In Illinois, we know that a clean energy economy is about more than just vehicles – it's about healthier communities and jobs for those who live there. We are excited to welcome Lion to the Land of Lincoln and look forward to their future success here."
Lion expects to focus on vehicle manufacturing during early phases of operation, and is considering adding battery production to the facility in the future.