Public Auction Next For Joliet's Failed Lion Electric Bus Manufacturer

JOLIET, IL —Two years after 600 dignitaries including Governor J.B. Pritzker, both Illinois Senators and members of Congress attended the grand opening ceremony for Joliet's newly opened Lion Electric bus manufacturing plant near Channahon, the equipment inside the facility is being sold off on May 15 at a public auction, Joliet Patch has learned.

"Public Auction Due to closure of US EV Manufacturing facility – Short Notice!" the Workingman Capital website reads.

According to Workingman Capital, the auction at Lion Electric's 3835 Youngs Road address will feature:

(2) 2022 Atlas Copco 215 HP Compressors

2021 Pneutec 50 HP Compressor

(100) Automated Guided Vehicles

(150) Sections Pallet Racking w mesh decking

(1) 40,000 lb vehicle lift

(12) HD modular wheel lifts up to 16,500 lb cap

(6) Forklifts

(2) paint booths

(11) self-standing crane systems

Dynamometer, testers, machine shop, tools, supplies, mint late model offices, boardrooms and more.

Bidders will have the opportunity to attend an equipment inspection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 14 and there will be a removal deadline of May 30.

Back in June 2023, Governor Pritzker stood at the podium and told everyone, "the state of Illinois is putting itself on the map internationally and the world is taking notice. So it's altogether fitting and prideworthy to celebrate today with this fantastic milestone from one of the most innovative and zero emission vehicle manufacturers in the world, Lion Electric. This new facility delivers a tremendous boost for Illinois' clean energy economy and our environmental leadership, too. The number of jobs being created by Lion Electric has nearly doubled to 1,400 just since the announcement of its investment two years ago. And this is now the first new dedicated vehicle assembly plant to be built in the metropolitan Chicago area in over 50 years."

In 2021, Joliet Patch reported that Lion Electric had notified the city of Joliet of intentions to produce more than 10,000 electric vehicles per year at full capacity at its newly constructed 906,517 industrial building. Lion Electric said it planned to employ 324 workers during its first year of operation in Joliet. That total was supposed to climb to 372 employees in year two; 745 employees in year three and reach 1,418 employees in its fourth year of operation.

By last December, the Joliet Lion Electric plant was nothing but doom and gloom. The Dec. 2 headline in Joliet Patch declared, "Lion Electric Falls Apart In Joliet: No More Electric Buses Here."