Foxconn to pivot Lordstown plant to AI server and data center production—reports

Photo: Lordstown Motors

Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn will convert the former Lordstown Motors EV plant in Ohio into a hub for AI server and cloud computing hardware production, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The company has sold the facility and its equipment for $375 million but will continue operating at the site.

Why it matters

The 6.2 million-square-foot Youngstown area facility — six times larger than Foxconn’s new Houston plant for Nvidia AI servers — positions Ohio as a key player in the surging U.S. market for AI-ready data centers. McKinsey projects more than $5 trillion in data center investment by 2030, much of it in the U.S.

The details

• Foxconn acquired the plant from bankrupt Lordstown Motors in 2022 for $230 million, initially to build EVs.

• The site will is expected to focus on cloud, networking, and AI data center products, areas where Foxconn reports “significant growth.”

• Foxconn manufactures data center products for Nvidia and assembles iPhones for Apple.

• The buyer is described as an “existing business partner,” but no name has been disclosed according to media reports.

Bigger picture

Once a General Motors small-car factory, Lordstown has been through multiple industrial reinventions — from GM to EV startup to AI infrastructure hub. The pivot aligns with President Trump’s focus on domestic AI manufacturing over EV subsidies.

What’s next

Ohio is in the midst of a surge in AI-related investment, with the state emerging as a fast-growing national hub for data center construction. Fueled by hyperscale cloud providers and major AI infrastructure projects, these developments are cementing the state’s position as a leading center for AI innovation and deployment.