From the Los Angeles Times:
California positively gets a negative from Tesla on battery factory
Tesla has already ruled out California for the plant costing as much as $5 billion and employing 6,500 workers. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas are in the running.
California loves Tesla Motors.Of course they'll tell you the lack of plans may change but just you watch.
The Palo Alto electric car maker's Model S sedan is the state's new eco-luxury status symbol. Californians bought more than a third of Teslas sold globally last year. Residents of the state pack the order list for Tesla's next offering, a sport utility vehicle.
California pollution-control policies enable Tesla to rake in tens of millions of dollars each year from selling environmental credits to other automakers — a key source of Tesla's revenue.
But is this a case of unrequited love? When it comes to building a $4-billion to $5-billion battery factory that will employ 6,500 workers, Tesla is shunning the Golden State.
The automaker is looking at 500- to 1,000-acre sites in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Although the location hasn't been determined, Tesla has crossed California off the list. The company declined to comment on the reasons.
State officials aren't saying much either. A spokesman in Gov. Jerry Brown's administration said the state presented a proposal to the automaker with several possible sites, but that the automaker didn't bite.
Brown's office provided no other details.
"The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development maintains a strong partnership with Tesla and continues to work with them on future opportunities in California," the office said in a statement....MORE
