Lion Electric Company

Lion Electric Company was a Canadian vehicle manufacturer focused on battery-electric school buses, transit vehicles and commercial trucks. The business originated as Autobus Lion, founded in Quebec by Marc Bédard and Camile Chartrand, former executives associated with the Canadian school-bus industry. Its first vehicle, the Lion 360°, entered the market in 2011 as a conventional-style school bus built around a proprietary bus chassis supplied through a partnership with Spartan Chassis. The company differentiated itself through a simplified product architecture, composite exterior materials and an emphasis on durability and lower operating emissions. The company moved decisively toward electrification during the middle of the 2010s. It launched the eLion, later known as the LionC, an electric version of its conventional school-bus platform. In 2017, Autobus Lion adopted the name Lion Electric Company and announced a broader development program covering electric buses and Class 5 through Class 8 trucks. This period established the company’s core identity as an electric-commercial-vehicle specialist rather than a conventional bus manufacturer with isolated alternative-fuel products. Lion expanded its range with the LionM low-floor midibus, the LionA Type A school bus and the LionD larger school-bus model. These vehicles were intended for school transportation, transit, paratransit, shuttle and vocational applications. The company also developed the Lion8, a Class 8 electric cabover truck for urban and vocational work, and later pursued additional commercial truck platforms, including the Lion6 and Lion8 lines. Its business model combined vehicle manufacturing with battery-electric powertrain integration and supporting charging and fleet-electrification solutions. Capital and geographic expansion accelerated in the late 2010s and early 2020s. Power Energy, a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada, invested in Lion in 2017. Lion also established a presence in California and announced a major manufacturing facility in Joliet, Illinois, intended to produce electric buses and trucks. In 2021, the company became publicly traded through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company. It subsequently attracted substantial fleet interest, including a 260-bus order from First Student announced in May 2021. The expansion was followed by financial and operational pressure. During 2024, Lion reduced its workforce, including temporary layoffs at the Illinois facility. In December 2024, it entered creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 proceedings in the United States after defaulting on debt. The company stated that remaining production would concentrate on completing and delivering outstanding vehicle orders while the business was offered for sale. The restructuring culminated in a 2025 sale to an investor group for approximately C$6 million, according to the company’s Wikipedia account, followed by the adoption of the capitalized LION name. The reorganized business sold its United States manufacturing assets and battery-pack production facility, ended its United States operations and discontinued development and production of the Lion6 and Lion8 commercial trucks. It narrowed its activity to school buses, particularly the LionC and LionD, and centered its recovery strategy on Quebec. The post-restructuring company therefore represents a substantially smaller and more focused version of the earlier North American electric-truck and bus manufacturer. Its legacy remains significant in the electric school-bus market, while its future depends on completing restructuring, resolving customer and vehicle-service issues, and rebuilding demand in its home market.

The business was established in Quebec in 2008 as Autobus Lion by Marc Bédard and Camile Chartrand. Both founders had backgrounds in the Canadian school-bus sector. The company’s creation followed the disappearance of an earlier Canadian full-size school-bus manufacturer and made Lion one of the first new North American school-bus manufacturers of the twenty-first century. In 2011, Lion introduced the Lion 360°, a conventional or cowled-chassis school bus developed with Spartan Chassis. Rather than offering a broad range of configurations based on commercial truck platforms, Lion initially sought to simplify manufacturing around a dedicated bus design. The 360° used composite and thermoplastic exterior materials intended to resist corrosion and was offered for school, activity-bus and commercial applications. Its design also used a wider body than the traditional North American school-bus standard, creating additional interior space for aisles and restraints. Lion began its transition to electric propulsion with the eLion, introduced in 2015. Based on the 360° body and chassis, the eLion replaced the diesel powertrain with an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries. This product provided the foundation for Lion’s later LionC electric school-bus line. In June 2017, the company changed its name to the Lion Electric Company and announced a wider portfolio that included a low-floor electric minibus, a Type A school bus, a larger school bus and electric trucks. Power Energy invested in the company later that year, providing backing from a major Canadian corporate group. The LionM and LionA were introduced in 2018. The LionM was designed for transit, paratransit and shuttle duties, while the LionA applied electric propulsion to a smaller Type A school-bus format. The larger LionD school bus complemented these vehicles. Their battery configurations were designed to support different range requirements, and the vehicles could use conventional and fast-charging systems, with battery-swapping capability also discussed in the product material. Lion extended its ambitions beyond buses with the Lion8, a Class 8 electric cabover truck introduced in 2019. The truck was aimed at urban delivery and vocational operations, where predictable routes and frequent depot charging could make electrification more practical. During the same period, Lion developed a presence in California and prepared for significant United States manufacturing expansion. In 2021, Lion announced a Joliet, Illinois manufacturing facility for electric buses and trucks and became a publicly traded company through a SPAC transaction. The business secured fleet commitments, including First Student’s 260-bus order announced in May 2021. These developments reflected the company’s strategy of serving school districts, transit agencies and commercial fleets across North America while scaling production capacity. The company’s expansion was not sustained. In 2024, Lion experienced workforce reductions and temporary layoffs at the Illinois plant. In December, it entered creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 proceedings in the United States after defaulting on debt. Production was directed toward completing existing vehicle orders while the business sought a buyer and additional restructuring support. In 2025, shareholders brought a Canadian class action concerning alleged financial misrepresentations, and a U.S. law firm began an investigation into possible securities fraud. An EPA inquiry also examined catastrophic failures involving multiple Lion electric buses in Maine. Public reporting further described warranty issues affecting U.S. customers and bus-fire incidents. The sale of the reorganized company was completed in May 2025. The buyer group acquired the business for approximately C$6 million, according to the referenced Wikipedia account. The company adopted the name LION, sold its American manufacturing facilities and battery-pack operation, withdrew from the United States, and ended its Lion6 and Lion8 commercial-truck programs. The reorganized business concentrated on school buses, particularly the LionC and LionD, and directed its recovery toward Quebec. This marked a major change from the company’s earlier plan to become a broad North American manufacturer of electric buses and trucks.

1. 2025Business is sold and renamed LION

   An investor group acquires the reorganized company, which sells U.S. assets and focuses on Quebec school buses.

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2. 2024Creditor protection begins

   Lion enters Canadian creditor protection and U.S. Chapter 15 proceedings after debt default and workforce reductions.

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3. 2021Joliet manufacturing expansion and public listing

   Lion announces its Illinois manufacturing facility and becomes publicly traded through a SPAC merger.

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4. 2021First Student orders 260 electric buses

   First Student places what Lion described as its largest order to that point.

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5. 2019Lion8 electric truck is introduced

   The company presents a Class 8 electric cabover truck for urban and vocational applications.

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6. 2018LionM and LionA are introduced

   Lion expands into low-floor midibuses, paratransit vehicles and Type A electric school buses.

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7. 2017Company adopts the Lion Electric name

   Autobus Lion rebrands as the Lion Electric Company and announces electric buses and Class 5–8 trucks.

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8. 2017Power Energy invests in Lion

   Power Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada, announces a major investment in the company.

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9. 2015eLion electric school bus launches

   Lion introduces a fully electric version of its conventional school-bus platform.

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10. 2011Lion 360° is introduced

    The company launches its first school bus, a conventional-style model developed with Spartan Chassis.

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11. 2008Autobus Lion is founded

    Marc Bédard and Camile Chartrand establish the Quebec-based school-bus manufacturer that would become Lion Electric.

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A zero-emission commercial-vehicle manufacturer specializing in electric school buses and fleet electrification, with its post-2025 business focused primarily on Quebec school-bus production.

• Lion 360°Conventional school bus2011

  Introduced in 2011, the Lion 360° is a conventional or cowled-chassis bus offered for school transportation, activity-bus and commercial use. It was developed with Spartan Chassis and used a dedicated bus-oriented platform rather than a standard production medium-duty truck chassis. Its body incorporated composite and thermoplastic exterior materials intended to improve corrosion resistance. Available features included wheelchair lifts and underfloor luggage storage. Lion also displayed a compressed-natural-gas version in 2015, although the production volume of that variant is unclear.

• LionCBattery-electric school bus2015

  Originally marketed as the eLion, the LionC is a fully electric school bus based on the Lion 360° body and chassis. It replaces the conventional diesel powertrain with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery system. The model became one of Lion’s central products and, after the 2025 restructuring, remained part of the company’s narrowed school-bus strategy. It is intended for fixed-route school transportation, where depot charging and predictable daily mileage support battery-electric operation.

• LionMElectric midibus2018

  The LionM is a low-floor electric midibus designed for transit, paratransit and shuttle work. The approximately 26-foot vehicle includes a kneeling function and an integrated wheelchair ramp. Its underfloor battery configuration was described with either one or two battery packs, allowing different range specifications. The vehicle could use onboard charging equipment and optional direct-current fast charging. It was part of Lion’s broader effort to apply its electric platform beyond school buses.

• LionAElectric Type A school bus2018

  The LionA is a battery-electric Type A school bus. It was developed alongside the LionM and used an axle arrangement associated with larger bus designs. The model extended Lion’s electric offering into a smaller school-bus format suitable for routes and fleet applications that did not require a full-size conventional or transit-style vehicle.

• LionDBattery-electric school bus2018

  The LionD is a larger electric school-bus line developed for full-size student transportation. Along with the LionC, it became a central part of the post-restructuring LION product focus. The model is intended to serve school districts and operators seeking to replace diesel buses with zero-tailpipe-emission vehicles while retaining the capacity and operating format of a conventional school bus.

• Lion8Class 8 electric truck2019

  Introduced in 2019, the Lion8 is a cabover Class 8 battery-electric truck aimed primarily at urban delivery and vocational applications. Reference material describes a high-power electric motor and a large battery pack, with the vehicle designed around predictable commercial routes and depot charging. The commercial-truck program was discontinued during the 2025 restructuring as LION returned its attention to school buses.

• 2025Sale and restructuring under the LION nameM&A

  The reorganized company required new ownership and a smaller operating model after creditor-protection proceedings.

  What changed. An investor group acquired the company, which sold its U.S. manufacturing and battery-pack assets, exited the United States, discontinued the Lion6 and Lion8 truck programs, and concentrated on the LionC and LionD school buses.

  Aftermath. The company emerged as LION, a Quebec-focused school-bus manufacturer rather than a pan-North-American electric bus and truck producer.

  Reported acquisition consideration. Approximately C$6 million (May 2025)

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• 2024Creditor protection and production prioritizationStrategy

  Debt default, workforce reductions and operating pressure made a continuation of the earlier expansion plan impractical.

  What changed. Lion entered creditor protection in Canada and Chapter 15 proceedings in the United States, while focusing remaining production on completing outstanding orders and seeking a buyer.

  Aftermath. The proceedings led to a sale, asset divestitures and a substantial reduction in the company’s operating scope.

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• 2021SPAC merger and public listingM&A

  Lion sought public-market capital to support production scaling and the development of electric buses and trucks.

  What changed. The company merged with a special-purpose acquisition company and began trading under the LEV ticker.

  Aftermath. Lion gained public-company access while continuing its North American manufacturing expansion.

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• 2017Shift from school-bus manufacturing to a broad electric-vehicle portfolioStrategy

  After establishing the Lion 360° and eLion platforms, the company sought to expand into electric transit vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty commercial trucks.

  What changed. The company rebranded as Lion Electric Company and announced the LionM, LionA, LionD and Class 5–8 electric-truck programs.

  Aftermath. The strategy increased Lion’s product and geographic ambitions but was later reversed during the company’s financial restructuring.

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• 2025Shareholder class-action allegationsControversy

  Shareholders filed a Canadian class action alleging that Lion misrepresented the stability of its financial position before the company entered restructuring proceedings and suffered a severe market-value decline.

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• 2025Securities-fraud investigationControversy

  A U.S. law firm began an investigation into whether Lion may have committed securities fraud in connection with its financial disclosures and business condition.

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• 2025Investigations into electric-bus failuresControversy

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigated catastrophic failures involving several Lion electric buses operating in Maine. Additional reporting described bus-fire incidents, operational restrictions and warranty concerns affecting U.S. customers.

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• 2025Lion is sold and rebranded as LION

  The company was sold to an investor group, adopted the LION name, divested U.S. manufacturing and battery assets, and narrowed its focus to Quebec school buses.

  M&ABankruptcy
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• 2024Lion enters creditor protection and U.S. Chapter 15 proceedings

  Lion announced creditor-protection proceedings in Canada and Chapter 15 bankruptcy proceedings in the United States after defaulting on debt and reducing its workforce.

  BankruptcyLeadership change
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• 2021Lion Electric becomes a public company through a SPAC merger

  Lion completed a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company and began trading publicly under the LEV ticker.

  M&A
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• 2021First Student places a 260-bus order with Lion

  First Student ordered 260 electric buses, described as Lion’s largest order at that time.

  Product launch
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1. Lion Electric Company
2. Lion Electric Company official website