With Tesla planning on building many more Gigafactories over the next few years, countries around the world are doing what they can to attract the multi-billion dollar investments. The latest to join in is France, which will host CEO Elon Musk on Friday for the second time in one month.
In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday at the Viva Tech Conference in Paris, where Musk is scheduled to speak later this week, France’s digital minister, Jean-Noel Barrot said officials have been involved in discussions with Tesla to build a Gigafactory in France, noting the country’s EV battery sector.
“It will be great to have a Tesla factory in France, there has been a lot of effort and energy to make sure this is possible and this can happen. We have also invested in an … entire sector of electric batteries so we will try to convince him that France is the best possible place in Europe to establish the next Tesla factory,” Barrot said.
Following the interview, French Presdient Emmanuel Macron said he is planning to meet with Musk on Friday in an attempt to promote his country as a location for the next Gigafactory. Macron also plans to discuss other topics of interest like artificial intelligence, and about how his country is considering a possible ban of one of his other companies, Twitter.
“I’m going (into that meeting) with an agenda. We’re going to talk about artificial intelligence, in which he is involved, social media, regulation framework… And then I’ll also talk to him about cars, batteries, to promote French and European attractiveness,” Macron said. (via Reuters)
Tesla has not been quiet about its intentions to build more Gigafactories on its way to building 20 million cars by the end of the decade. Earlier this year the company announced the next location will be in Monterrey, Mexico. Musk has also revealed he will be announcing the next Gigafactory location “probably” before the end of the year.
Tesla may be close to signing deal for $4.8 billion Gigafactory in Spain
