Pritzker, state leaders celebrate opening of Lion Electric factory

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A Canadian-based electric vehicle manufacturer opened the doors to a massive 900,000 square foot factory in Joliet Friday morning. Gov. JB Pritzker said Lion Electric's vision for electric school buses and commercial trucks will help create more clean energy jobs as Illinois transitions to a carbon-free future.

Driving into a new era of manufacturing, Illinois is now home to the country's largest plant dedicated to assembling all-electric medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

"Lion Electric and the state of Illinois are leading the way when it comes to commercial electric vehicles," said Lion Electric CEO Marc Bedard. "And it's very clear to me more than ever right now."

Lion Electric plans to hire 1,400 skilled workers in Illinois in order to produce an estimated 20,000 zero emission vehicles annually.

"You know better than anyone else that this is about more than just cars on the road," Pritzker said to nearly 150 students from the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago and ComEd's Youth Ambassador Program. "It's also about making sure that we have the buses and the community experience of the new clean energy economy."

The Pritzker administration said this is another great step towards the state's commitment to 100% clean energy by 2050. Democrats hope to have one million electric vehicles on Illinois roads by 2030.

"Because of this clean school bus program, thousands of Illinois-made buses will be taking kids to school across America and none of these kids will have to breathe diesel fumes on that ride," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois). "This is a remarkable achievement."

Students at Joliet Junior College will also have the opportunity to take classes in the JJC automotive program and then work as entry-level assemblers and technicians for Lion Electric.

Pritzker hopes to have more electric vehicle manufacturing companies move to Illinois after his successful business development trip in the United Kingdom earlier this week.

"What Lion Electric is doing here in Joliet, what we're replicating all across the state of Illinois, is a real step forward in keeping this planet working for you and creating jobs for your future," Pritzker said. "And we're just getting started."