The Wheels On The Bus Fell Off: JB Pritzker's 'EV Flop'

CHICAGO - Back in June 2023, JB Pritzker, Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and a crowd of lawmakers flocked to Joliet, patting themselves on the back as they cut the ribbon on Lion Electric’s electric vehicle plant. Fast forward two years and Lion Electric’s disastrous tenure in Illinois is coming to an end. The results of Pritzker’s “EV Flop” speak for themselves:

• December 2024: The wheels on the bus fell off as Lion Electric shuttered their Joliet plant and laid off hundreds across the United States and Canada
• Last week: Quebec announced it would NOT invest $24 million to help Lion relaunch
• May 15th: The company’s equipment goes on the auction block, and liquidation seems all but certain

Don’t forget: Last December, Pritzker announced that $19.9 million of our taxpayer dollars would be used to build 70 electric school buses in nine school districts - over $284,000 per bus.