[ad_1]
Image copyright
fake pictures
Tesla has reopened its only U.S. electric car plant in California, despite local anti-manufacturing orders.
On Monday, the company’s chief executive, Elon Musk, tweeted that production had restarted and that it would be “in line with everyone else.”
States and local governments in the United States are trying to determine the best way to open up after closing.
Musk previously promised to move the company’s headquarters out of California if the plant was not reopened.
While the state has eased restrictions to allow manufacturing, Alameda County, where the Fremont plant is located, has not. The town is an hour south of San Francisco.
Elon Musk on Saturday said Tesla had filed a lawsuit against the county asking a court to remove the order preventing the automaker from resuming production.
Rather than wait for a decision, Musk announced on Twitter on Monday that the plant would reopen.
Image copyright
Twitter
The local police department said it was aware of the situation, but would act at the discretion of county health officials.
The Alameda County Public Health Department said Monday it was “actively communicating” with Tesla about the reopening of the plans and that it was taking the same approach it had taken with other businesses that had violated the shutdown orders.
In an email seen by Reuters, Tesla also informed workers that the decision to reopen was in line with California guidelines.
Musk wrote on Twitter that Tesla had been “targeted,” saying that other American automakers were allowed to restart production.
Pictures of Tesla’s parking lot on Monday showed it was nearly full. The plant has been closed to all essential operations, except limited ones, since March 26.
Production outside California
Tesla opened a plant in Shanghai last year and is building another one outside Berlin, but Fremont is home to Tesla’s headquarters and its main manufacturing facilities.
On Saturday, Musk said he would move the U.S. plant to another state if necessary to restart production.
Officials in Texas, Utah, Georgia and Nevada, where Tesla already has a battery assembly plant, reached out to Twitter to offer incentives to move their jurisdictions.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that California “should prioritize” helping Tesla reopen because it was one of the largest manufacturing employers in the state.
State Governor Gavin Newsom said he had spoken to Musk last week and that his concerns were part of the reason why California decided to gradually implement manufacturing as it slowly lifts closure measures.
