"Desperate for jobs, three communities embraced a bold electric vehicle promise. Now, they’re left with questions—and no jobs."
"They came with promises of transformation: thousands of jobs, surging salaries and a foothold in the booming electric vehicle market.
Imola Automotive USA, a Boca Raton, Florida-based startup, pitched officials in small, struggling towns in Georgia, Oklahoma and Arkansas on a bold vision. The company planned to build six EV plants, create 45,000 jobs — and help these impoverished communities secure a place in America’s green future.
But more than 18 months later, the company hasn’t broken ground on a single site. And its top executive — whose background is in television and athletic shoes, not automotive manufacturing — has gone silent.
A Floodlight investigation did not uncover lost taxpayer money in Fort Valley, Georgia; Langston, Oklahoma; or Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where Imola has sought free land, municipal financing and other incentives for its shifting proposals."
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