Tesla’s recent announcement from Texas for its upcoming Gigafactory has been well received by the homeowner community in the state. On Saturday, members of the Austin Tesla Owners Club gathered at a nearby mall before heading to the factory-chosen location in a parade-style caravan.
The celebration group consisted of about 75 owners, according to local reports on the local news channel KXAN. Before heading to the Gigafactory construction site, which is about 15 minutes from downtown Austin and close to the Colorado River, members took time to connect. Afterward, they enjoyed a drive-in movie or dinner at a local restaurant, as listed on their club’s event page.
https://t.co/oRpfgdVkOI
– Austin Tesla Club (@AustinTeslaClub) July 25, 2020
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Texas as his next Gigafactory home during the company’s recent Q2 2020 earnings call. With the Shanghai Gigafactory 3 already producing vehicles and construction of the Berlin Gigafactory underway, the Austin-area site will be Tesla’s largest so far.
“It will be impressive. It is right next to the Colorado River. It will have a promenade … It will be an ecological paradise. It will also be open to the public, “Musk told callers during the second quarter discussions. He also noted that there will be a cycling and hiking route for visitors to use while on the premises.
Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory will be responsible for building the Model 3, Model Y, and Tesla Semi, but its development is primarily planned for the Cybertruck. The parcel purchased is 2,100 acres and upon completion, it is estimated that it will bring about 5,000 new “medium skill” jobs to the area and at least $ 1.1 billion in company investment specifically. To lure Tesla to the Austin area over its rival from Tulsa, Oklahoma, the local city council offered approximately $ 14 million in tax exemptions along with $ 68 million in savings from the local school district over ten years.
Although Texas and the Tesla community in particular seem to welcome the company’s move to the area, the circumstances face a bit of irony. To comply with state law, the all-electric automaker will have to send its vehicles from the Austin Gigafactory to an out-of-state location before delivering them to customers, as detailed by local publication Statesman News Network. Since Tesla uses a sales model with purchases made over the Internet rather than through franchises, customers cannot purchase and collect their cars as a single in-state transaction. Some attempts to change this law have been unsuccessful in the past, but perhaps a more immediate need will ultimately help change things.
