LORDSTOWN, Ohio - Lordstown Motors wants to be on the cusp of electric vehicle manufacturing but, to do it, they need help from the federal government.

Backing those efforts is Congressman Tim Ryan. 

"I think we got to shoot for the stars here. There's going to be a plant somewhere in the United States and probably many of them that have thousands of workers producing electric trucks. We want it to be here," said Ryan. 

Congressman Ryan, along with nine other Ohio senators and representatives, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy asking the department to approve a federal loan so Lordstown Motors can retool the old GM plant and build electric pickup trucks.

More than $300 million is needed to get the operation started, and the loan is crucial in that process.

The overall goal is to create thousands of jobs at the former GM Lordstown plant.

If the loan is approved, Ryan would like to see private investors follow suit.

Lordstown Motors has said they would like to begin production by the end of this year.