Globe & Mail 07:14 AM EST, 01/10/2022 (MT Newswires) -- The Lion Electric Company (LEV.TO), a manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty urban vehicles, on Monday said it has taken possession of its upcoming production facility in Joliet, Ill. Tenant improvement work is ongoing and the company will shortly begin the installation of critical equipment. It expects the first vehicles to come off the production line in the second half of this year.
The manufacturing facility, when completed, will be the largest dedicated production site for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the US, with an expected annual production capacity of up to 20,000 vehicles per year. The facility is expected to add up to 1,400 clean energy jobs in the region over the next four years.
Lion also announced the hiring of two new positions
Richard Coulombe has been named Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. In this new role, Coulombe will be responsible for leading Lion's growth and strategic initiatives, with a primary focus on major upcoming projects including the Joliet, Ill. manufacturing facility and the Lion Campus (which includes the battery manufacturing plant and innovation center) in Mirabel, Quebec. Coulombe previously held executive positions at Alstom, Bombardier Transportation and Pratt & Whitney.
Eric Pansegrau is joining the company and will serve as General Manager - Joliet Plant, where he will establish operational structures, implement manufacturing, distribution, quality control and inventory standards and processes, and oversee daily operations. Pansegrau most recently served as Vice President of Operations for the Wheel End Division at Accuride.
"2022 is set to be the biggest year yet for Lion, with major projects underway, and Lion continues to remain on schedule to begin production in the United States in 2022. Our production from the Joliet plant will support the national demand for zero-emission electric school buses, paratransit buses and trucks ranging from Class 5 to Class 8," said Marc Bedard, CEO.