Local leaders are unfazed by Fisker’s pullout of PEAR manufacturing at Foxconn in Lordstown, Ohio.

LORDSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Last week, Automaker Fisker announced its plans to end production of the Pear at the Foxconn facility in Lordstown.

Fisker is expected to build an EV model in the former General Motors factory in the village. It raises new questions about the future of the site, but local leaders say they remain optimistic about the future of the auto industry in the Mahoning Valley.

It’s definitely a fork in the road for Fisker. Guy Coviello, president and CEO of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber said there was never any agreement between Fisker and Foxconn.

“It seemed like the media showed that, and it seemed like people talked about it that way, but the truth is that Fisker never entered into an agreement. In fact, when you look at it from that point of view, it’s not a loss,” Coviello said.

Despite PEAR’s setbacks, local leaders remain hopeful Foxconn will attract more companies to the Lordstown facility, which already produces the electric and self-driving Monarch Tractor.

“If you look at their portfolio of what they’re making around the world, there’s a lot of hope that eventually they’ll get additional contracts besides King Tractor to make products at that facility,” Coviello said.

Fisker’s announcement comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission charges Lordstown Motors for misleading investors, and its Endurance pickup truck plans have stalled after it filed for bankruptcy last year.

“Many of us went into it knowing the challenges that would lie ahead of a startup, especially a startup in the world of automotive manufacturing. So, it’s not surprising what happened,” Coviello said.

Still, Coviello is optimistic that Foxconn and the facility, in general, will stay ahead of the curve.

“I see us at the cutting edge of the automotive industry again, but a new generation of the automotive industry. We were at the cutting edge of the combustion engine and now we are at the cutting edge of electric or, should I say, alternative fuels and automation,” Coviello said.