State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) applauds Canadian electric car manufacturer opening factory in Will County. | Photo Courtesy of Patrick Joyce Facebook
State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) applauds Canadian electric car manufacturer opening factory in Will County. | Photo Courtesy of Patrick Joyce Facebook
State Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) recently joined Canadian-based company Lion Electric to reveal that Will County has been selected as the site for the company's first U.S. manufacturing facility to build electric vehicles.
Lion Electric specializes in manufacturing fully electric buses. The company will invest $70 million to construct a 900,000-square-feet factory in Joliet. The move is projected to create more than 800 local manufacturing jobs, ABC 7 News reported May 7.
"I am pleased to welcome Lion Electric to Will County, as it will add to our state’s industry-leading capabilities," Joyce said in a statement May 7. "This facility will allow us to increase our contribution to the local economy and provide employment opportunities in our community."
The factory will be the largest production plant of its kind in the U.S. and is predicted to produce approximately 20,000 electric vehicles annually.
“I’m proud that our community will serve as a destination for this manufacturing company and will create high-quality jobs,” the Essex senator said. “I look forward to watching this project unfold, and the facility grow for years to come.”
The state provided $7.9 million in financial incentives to the company with some conditional provisions related to investments and jobs.
The plant is predicted to be fully operational by the second half of 2022.
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