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How real are Arizona Gov. Ducey's 2,000 jobs at electric semi truck plant?

Arizona's new agreement is with Nikola Motor Company to build its first manufacturing plant for a hydrogen-powered semi-trailer rig.

Arizona has become a magnet for electric vehicles, bringing exciting projects with thousands of jobs announced in the last two years.

The newest project, an electric truck manufacturing plant in Buckeye, could put 2,000 people to work.

But there are questions over whether those jobs will actually get created.

An electric car factory has stalled and now this new plant announced by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey faces some of the same questions: Does it have enough cash to follow through on the big promises?

Arizona's new agreement is with Nikola Motor Company to build its first manufacturing plant for a hydrogen-powered semi-trailer rig.

More than a year ago, Lucid Motors was supposed to bring 2,000 jobs to Casa Grande to build electric cars there, but that project -- and the jobs -- are stalled by a lack of cash.

"For Nikola, they're going to have to demonstrate they have the financial backing, they have the investors," clean transportation expert John Boesel said. "It's not yet clear where their capital will come from."

A Nikola spokesperson told 12 News "the company's investors are private" and "it doesn't give out that information." She said Nikola is "without a concern" about paying for the Buckeye plant.

While Nikola has exciting plans for Arizona, there's an open question about where the cash is coming from to pay for it all.

The company plans to complete construction of its plant within two years and produce its first hydrogen-powered truck in three years.

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