Lordstown Motors won’t die without a fight and while it needs to continue raising money to make the Endurance pickup a reality, it is hopeful that newly-named chief executive Edward Hightower will help it become a serious EV player.

Hightower was promoted to CEO after serving as Lordstown’s president and in doing so, becomes the first black CEO of a U.S. car manufacturer in more than 100 years.

The 57-year-old has previously held engineering, strategy, senior executive, and brand marketing roles at General Motors, Ford, and BMW. He has a bachelor’s degree in general engineering from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s School of Business and will oversee a crucial period in Lordstown’s short history.

Read More: Foxconn Completes Purchase Of Lordstown Plant, EV Startup To Become Engineering Outfit

“I’ve grown my career in the automotive industry because I’ve been passionate about it,” Hightower told Auto News. “My entire life, I was passionate about cars. Growing up in Chicago, I was good in math and science. So I’m blessed to have the career I’ve had so far. I look forward to continuing it with this transition toward electrification and leading Lordstown.”

Hightower believes that his African American heritage provides him with an important point of view that will help the car manufacturer.

“I think it gives me the perspective that there’s talent everywhere. And there’s passionate, very strong people in the industry, from all backgrounds,” he said. “It’s important for African Americans and everyone to have access to experiences and mentorship for which they’re qualified and interested in. You just have a much broader pool for the industry to choose from to grow and succeed.”

Hightower has taken over Lordstown just a couple of months after the carmaker revealed it is seeking an additional $150 million in funding to bring the Endurance pickup into production. This revelation came despite it selling its factory for $230 million to Foxconn earlier in the year.

Lordstown finished the first quarter with a cash balance of $204 million, down from the $587 million it had a year ealier. It also lost $89.6 million in Q1, slightly less than the $125.2 million it lost in Q1 2021.