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Medium and heavy-duty electric vehicle maker, Lion Electric Corp (NYSE:LEV) hosted several U.S. leaders to preview the company’s Joliet Manufacturing Facility on Thursday. The guests included Senator Dick Durbin, Congressman Bill Foster, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Illinois Manufacturer’s Association President and CEO, Mark Denzler, and ComEd CEO, Gil Quiniones, EPA Manager Douglas Aburano, Mayor of Joliet, Bob O’Dekirk, and CEO of Econergy Haj Young also attended the event.
The guests were invited to hear remarks regarding federal clean manufacturing investments, as well as to take a tour of the 900,000 square foot facility and receive rides in Lion’s all-electric heavy-duty commercial trucks and school buses.
“We are very pleased to be hosting Senator Durbin, Congressman Foster, Governor Pritzker, Mr. Denzler, Mr. Quiniones, Mr. Aburano Mayor O’Dekirk and Mr. Young in Joliet today to preview the progress being made at our facility, where we expect to start manufacturing ‘Made-in-America’ all-electric school buses by the end of the year. This gave them the opportunity to experience our zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles firsthand. The amount of support and excitement we have been receiving from organizations and stakeholders throughout Illinois has been remarkable, and we look forward to continuing to grow our ties in the state as we help to lead this new revival of clean manufacturing in the U.S.,” said Brian Piern, Chief Commercial Officer at Lion Electric.
Senator Durbin commented on the progress the U.S. has made towards clean energy and supply chain constraints.
“In recent days Congress has worked to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing Americans today – from energy bills and climate change to supply chain constraints and polluted air – and we have made historic progress,” U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said. “The Inflation Reduction Act makes key investments in American energy to both address climate change and bring down energy bills and would create new good-paying clean energy jobs in Illinois.”
Representative Bill Foster hopes that the investments made in Illinois will help pave the way for the state
“I’m proud that manufacturers like Lion Electric are investing right here in Illinois and helping pave the way for our area to become a leader in the electric vehicle industry. With world-class National Laboratories like Fermi Accelerator National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory in such close proximity, this industry will be supported by cutting-edge research to drive the next generation of clean energy technology. These investments will provide our region’s diverse and highly-skilled workforce with the tools to help build a cleaner, stronger economy for tomorrow,” said Illinois Representative Bill Foster. to become a leader in the EV industry.
