The 5,000 jobs executives vowed to create in 2020 generated fresh hope for the shuttered General Motors Lordstown plant, which was an economic engine for the area and a critical piece of the American industrial heartland.
Local leaders rebranded Mahoning valley “Voltage valley”, claiming the EV revolution would revive the region. Donald Trump, then president, trumpeted a major victory. “The area was devastated when General Motors moved out,” he said. “It’s incredible what’s happened in the area. It’s booming now. It’s absolutely booming.”
But Lordstown Motors’ failure and its decision to sue its major investor, the electronics giant Foxconn, over a soured investment partnership, have dented Voltage valley’s fortunes. Some residents have “saviour fatigue” after years of similar failures, and have largely given up hope that the Lordstown plant can ever be fully rebooted.
This story is from the July 21, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the July 21, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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