Chambana Sun

State Representative Chris Miller highlighted issues with Governor J.B. Pritzker's plans for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, stating, "EV manufactures: We can't afford to build a product there's no demand for and we continue to have financial losses." He made the statement in an August 7 Facebook post.

"Pritzker: The future is bright for Illinois and EV manufactures," said G Miller, State Representative for 101st District (R), according to Facebook. "EV manufactures: We can't afford to build a pScreroduct there's no demand for and we continue to have financial losses."

According to Miller's Facebook post, he shared a link to a Chicago Tribune article focused on Lion Electric Company and their decision to lay off hundreds of workers – about a third of its workforce. The company attributes this decision to a slow rollout of electric school bus subsidies that caused a drop in revenue in North America. A significant number of employees at the company’s bus factory in Joliet, which is only a year old, are affected by the decision.

Screenshot of Rep. Chris Miller's Aug. 2 Facebook post | State Representative Chris MIller Facebook page

In a July 31 quarterly update, Lion reported a $27.7 million drop in revenue compared to the $58 million in revenue that the company brought in during the second quarter of 2023. The decline included a reduction in the number of delivered vehicles – 101 vehicles were delivered compared to 199 in the second quarter of 2023. The company blamed the timing of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rounds and subsidy delays. Due to higher manufacturing costs and lower sales volume, the company had a gross loss of $15.2 million and a net loss of $19.3 million, up from $11.8 million during the second quarter of 2023.

The company also announced plans to streamline operations. These plans include reducing the workforce by 30% across North America, mostly through temporary layoffs; adjusting truck manufacturing operations; creating a new product line to sell batteries to third parties; optimizing facility usage (including potentially subleasing part of the Joliet facility); and implementing an efficiency improvement plan.

Miller was first elected to the Illinois State House of Representatives in 2019 and is an Illinois native. He is a third-generation cattle farmer and grain operator in Hindsboro. He earned an associate degree in agriculture from Lake Land College and has a Bachelor of Science in Education, according to his official biography.