San Jose Wins Bid For Tesla Electric Car Facility
In a major coup for the city of San Jose, CA, Tesla Motors — of Roadster fame — has chosen a 90-acre lot in an industrial area of the city as the site of its new manufacturing facility and headquarters.
Back in June, the Governator himself was lamenting about the prospect that Tesla Motors — one of the state’s own shining green corporate stars — might pass up California in favor of New Mexico as the location for its future facilities.
But, after some serious wheeling and dealing, Schwarzenegger convinced Tesla that California was the right place to build by promising beucoup tax incentives and major financial help. His package included a government-funded lease-to-own option that would save Tesla from purchasing $100 million of equipment up front, and waive $8 million in taxes to boot.
Above and beyond the state’s financial incentives, the deal with San Jose involves a 40-year lease in which Tesla has the first 10 years rent-free and all development fees rebated in the form of tax credits. Gotta hand it to Tesla, they certainly know how to work the system.
In anticipation of dramatic future growth after the upcoming introduction of their next EV — a more affordable ($60K) 4-door sedan dubbed the Model S — the new facility is clearly key to Tesla’s business plan.
Reportedly, the Model S will be followed further down the road by cars that are truly affordable to the vast majority of Americans. According to an AP release, Tesla CEO Ze’ev Drori said that the future of Tesla involved servicing the entire car market and not being relegated to a niche
Although this is good news for the rest of us, and I understand Tesla’s business model, I still hate the idea of having to wait so long when other start-up companies are providing electric cars to the masses right off the bat instead of only to the rich upper crust.
Posts Related to Tesla and Other Electric Cars:
- Tesla Begins Popping Roadster EVs Off Production Line
- Tesla Roadster Pictures From SF Green [Pics]
- Tesla Motors Sues Fisker Automotive Over Electric Car Design
- Mercedes, Smart to Sell Electric Cars in 2010
- Th!nk Ox: An Electric Car With Style and Smarts
Image Credit: Tesla Motors
Source: The Mercury News
Tesla sure got the governator to cough up mucho goodies to stay in California. Booyah for Tesla … but get on with building the plant already! I fear the GM Volt will suck so, Obi Wan Telsa, you are our only hope.
Joe,
So true. From the Volt pictures it sure looks like that car became a study in mediocrity driven by the rules of a focus group to appeal to everyone and no one at the same time.
Site, not sight.
And the Volt design was changed based on testing in a multi-million dollar, state of the art, wind tunnel testing facility. The Tesla is certainly a more sexy car, but if you’re trying to maximize the distance you can drive on a given amount of energy, then your design choices are going to be somewhat constrained.
Chuchundra,
Doh! Thanks for that, it’s changed. The grammar police strike again
Detroit fails again!