Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Tesla Motors
Tesla close to deciding on a location for new factory
The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the first Silicon Valley based car-maker is close to selecting a location for a factory to build their second model (WhiteStar). By early March they are expected to choose between two sites with one being the East Bay city of Pittsburg. They are looking at all the usual issues that come with such a decision, such as labor costs, distance from suppliers and of course the single most important factor, the tax breaks they get from the local and state governments. Albuquerque, NM is reportedly the other finalist, with the state of New Mexico offering up $20 million in bribes, incentives. The Tesla roadster will be assembled by Lotus at their plant in Hethel, England alongside the Elise upon which it is based. The WhiteStar sedan that is being developed at the new Michigan Tech Center, will be assembled at the new plant.
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[Source: San Jose Mercury News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lithous 10:37AM (2/12/2007)
Anyone who thinks the U.S. gov't shouldn't give GM and Ford a hand-out if needed is so dumb. I think it is fine for Tesla but I also think it is way so deserving of GM and Ford for all the service they have done.
Think about it for one minute. Tesla might get $20 million from a state gov't and yet GM and Ford (and Chrysler even though they should have sealed their fate when the stock holders voted to go German) wanted $500 million from the federal gov't to get battery technology further along and people were complaining.
Hell, maybe it should have been GM, Ford and Tesla that should be getting the $500 million instead of Chyrsler in the mix. The criteria to get a piece of the $500 million should be 1. American owned and 2. make least one vehicle in the U.S. with more than 70% (or whatever the "made in U.S.A." label requires). Chrysler doesn't fit the first (out of their own voting) and Tesla doesn't make the second, at least yet. It would be nice if they did eventually.
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