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Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk (photo) said Monday that production was resuming at the company’s main vehicle factory in California and asked to be the only one arrested, as he challenged local officials who said the plant should remain closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. .
The dispute comes as states and cities across the United States are experimenting with ways to reopen their economies safely after the virus outbreak shut down businesses and forced tens of millions of Americans to lose their jobs.
Musk over the weekend threatened to leave California to go to Texas or Nevada for the fight. His move has highlighted competition for jobs and sparked a race to attract the billionaire executive from states that have reopened their economies more quickly in response to stimulus from United States President Donald Trump.
In an email Monday, Tesla referred to an order Thursday from the California governor allowing manufacturers to resume operations and said that as of Sunday, previously suspended employees returned to their regular state of employment.
“We are excited to be back at work and have put in place very detailed plans to help you stay safe when you return,” according to the email seen by Reuters titled “Furlough is over and we are back to production work!”
Musk said in a tweet that production would resume on Monday, adding that he would join the workers on the assembly line. “If someone is arrested, I ask that it be just me,” he wrote.
Health officials in Alameda County, where the Fremont factory is located, said Friday and Saturday that they should remain closed while local blockade measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus remain in effect.
The county order says violations are punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Alameda County health officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether they would take any steps to shut down factory operations.
A spokeswoman for the Fremont Police Department said Monday that her office was enforcing the shutdown order under the direction of the health department and had been informed that the county is working directly with Tesla.
Separately Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said California should do whatever it takes to help the electric car maker reopen its only US vehicle factory. USA If you want to keep the company in its state.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday that he spoke to Musk several days ago and that the concerns of the Tesla founder helped the state begin its gradual reopening of manufacturing last week.
“I have known not only that company, but also its founder for many, many years,” Newsom said at his daily coronavirus press conference. “I have a great reverence for its technology, for its innovative spirit, for its leadership.”
Tesla, which also has a vehicle plant in Shanghai and is building another in Berlin, sued the county on Saturday, alleging it had violated the California constitution by defying Newsom’s orders allowing the manufacturers to reopen.
Musk has discussed opening a second American factory outside of California in the past. In a tweet in February, he asked for comments about the possible opening of a factory in Texas.
Since his threat to leave California on Saturday, officials from Texas, Georgia, Utah, Oklahoma and Nevada have contacted Musk on Twitter, encouraging him to move to his state.
A Texas official said his county was immediately available to accommodate Tesla and invited the billionaire CEO for a visit.
“We have a motivated governor in favor of business,” Richard Cortez, a county judge in Hidalgo County, Texas, said Monday. “What we no longer have is a home refuge mandate.”
Musk replied on Twitter: “The note is highly appreciated.” – Reuters
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