INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Tesla is in talks with Nashville officials to locate a factory there that will produce its all-electric Cybertruck and Model Y crossover,
according to a source familiar with the discussions.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted Tuesday evening that the company is &scouting& locations
to build a new United States gigafactory that will produce the Cybertruck and Model Y crossover.
Scouting locations for Cybertruck
Will be central USA,& Musk tweeted Tuesday
He added that the factory would be used to produce Model Y crossovers for the East Coast market
The first Model Y vehicles are being produced at its plant in Fremont, Calif.
Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory
Will be central USA.
mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2020
Musk didn''t provide further information in the tweets
However, a source with knowledge of the talks said Nashville is on a short list of contenders.
Tennessee is already shaping up to be a hub
of electric vehicle production
Volkswagen is spending $800 million to expand its United States factory in Chattanooga, Tenn
and turn it into the company North American base for manufacturing electric vehicles
Electric vehicle production at the Tennessee site will begin in 2022, VW said at the time
Meanwhile, Nissan has been producing the Nissan Leaf in Smyrna since 2013.
Tesla assembles its Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles in
at a factory that was once home to GM and Toyota New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) operation
Tesla acquired the factory in 2010
The first Model S was produced at the factory in June 2012.
Tesla turned its efforts to battery production and in June 2014 broke ground on
its first &gigafactory& on land near Reno, Nevada
The massive structure, which has surpassed
1.9 million square feet, is where Tesla produces battery packs and electric motors for its Model 3 vehicles
The company has a joint venture with Panasonic, which is making the lithium-ion cells.
Tesla also has a &gigafactory 2& in Buffalo, New
York where it producing solar cells and modules.
In 2018, Tesla struck a deal with the Chinese government to build a factory in Shanghai, a
milestone for Musk, who has long viewed China as a crucial market
The China factory started producing the Model 3 late last year
The first deliveries began in early January.
Tesla is now clearing land for another factory near Berlin
Once complete, this German factory will produce the Model 3 and Model Y for the European market.
The story has been updated to reflect new
information about the possible location of the factory.
