The state has announced that another American EV bus company will start a plant in Peoria, Illinois, as Lion Electric  is facing bankruptcy and the bidding of its shuttered , Joliet, Illinois, electric vehicle factory.
To empty its first , U. S.   assembly flower, Damera Corp., an electric vehicle firm based in Ontario, plans to invest$ 31.5 million and generate 90 full-time work, supported by state tax incentives.
The leased 55, 000-square-foot service will be used to purchase, service, and construct the eJest, an energy minibus with a 130-mile range, as well as the Karsan and other models. The vehicle has already been used in a number of communities in the U.S. and Canada as a zero-emissions public vehicles solution for residential areas.
Gov.” Over the past six years,  , Illinois , has pushed to consolidate our position as a gateway of the EV potential — and put our head to the vehicle to get that perspective off the ground and on the path.” According to JB Pritzker, Tuesday was in a media release. The condition is attracting businesses like Damera that not only provide jobs and opportunities for our individuals but also commit themselves to our communities through our economical incentive programs, workforce development, and other business interest work.
As part of a company growth journey to Washington, D.C., Pritzker and Damera executives made the announcement Tuesday.
Through the state’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles In Illinois ( REV Illinois ), Damera was encouraged to construct its first U.S. plant in and around Illinois. For meeting agreed-upon funding and job creation goals, the 2021 legislation offers a 75 % breaks on state income tax to EV manufacturers.
In a media release, RogerD’Hollander, Damera’s chief operating officer, stated that “our devotion to fostering long-term development and job creation in the , Peoria , area remains unwavering as we continue to expand Damera Bus , USA , LLC’s presence in , the United States.” This investment” not only strengthens the local economy, but it also opens up hundreds of new opportunities for the community.”
The business is the exclusive North American distributor of the , Karsan , eJest, with its headquarters in , U.S. and headquarters in , Florida. The minibus is produced in Turkey and is currently being assembled in Canada.
The eJest, which was launched about two years ago, has about 80 buses operating in the United States, including Santa Maria, a city of 110, 000 people on the central coast of California, where the public transit system began using 14 of the electric minibuses in 2023.
The Peoria  plant will ultimately put together the entire bus, including a 25-foot version that will be released in about two years, according toD’Hollander, who spoke to the Tribune on Tuesday. He predicted that the company would employ 300 to 500 people in , Peoria once production on the new model began.
The buses cost about$ 250, 000 to$ 300, 000 each ,D’Hollander said.
In a former Mitsubishi auto plant on the outskirts of , Normal, Illinois , has made significant progress in EV manufacturing, most notably with Rivian, which started building its full-size electric R1T pickup truck, the R1S SUV, and its commercial delivery vans.
Rivian is expanding its plant and constructing an adjacent$ 120 million supplier park to facilitate increased production as it prepares to launch its new midsize R2 electric SUV.
Lion Electric, which announced its electric school bus factory andnbsp, near andnbsp, Joliet , with great fanfare four years ago, is also facing liquidation andnbsp, after a short manufacturing run.
Opening in 2023, the company, Lion Electric, suspended operations in December and temporarily laid off 400 workers in the , Canada , and the , U. S.
A Canadian court-appointed monitor stated last week that the business is likely to be liquidated. The plant’s equipment will be auctioned on May 21.
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