Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory: Missouri courts automaker with $1B offer

This past March, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made some big news public. The automaker began looking at another location to build a second vehicle production plant to handle Cybertruck assembly, and perhaps even the Model Y.

Details on where this facility will plant roots are slim, though rumors circulated about the Nashville, Tennessee, area. All the while, though, Missouri’s been working hard to court Tesla. On Monday, Toby Teeter, Joplin, Missouri’s Chamber President shared a new website via Twitter dedicated to persuade Tesla’s decision.

Among the benefits, Joplin touts lower labor costs, tax breaks, 1,000 acres worth of land at a discount and crucial access to essential logistics, such as trucking, rail and commercial air. Total, the incentives and savings amount to $1 billion, according to the local government.

The city also says it’s the best place for EV production with some local battery production already anchored in the area with a skilled workforce ready and willing to build the electric pickup truck that took the internet by storm last year.

It’s entirely unclear if Joplin is even on the shortlist, or if there is a shortlist at this time. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked about the status of a Cybertruck Gigafactory. The automaker is, like so many others, working to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic at current and reportedly furloughed half of its sales and delivery staff last week.

But, if there will be a new production plant, I’d assume Tesla would need to decide sooner rather than later. The company previously said production will start in late 2021 for the most powerful Cybertruck model. In 2022, it will begin production of more affordable versions. Production plants aren’t built overnight, so perhaps we’ll learn more about a new Tesla factory in the near future.

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