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Elon Musk says 'several' Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory sites under consideration

Musk said Tesla hasn't actually purchased land in Austin, Texas yet, while Oklahoma officials say Tulsa is still in the hunt.

tesla-nummi-hero

Fremont won't be alone in building Tesla vehicles in the US if the company's plans in Texas work out.

Tesla

Following reports Tesla had purchased a plot of land in Austin, Texas for a future Cybertruck Gigafactory, CEO Elon Musk has spoken.

Electrek on Thursday reported that Tesla made the purchase as it continues to hash out final tax incentives with the local governments. Musk said on Twitter the same day, however, that Tesla merely has the "option" to purchase but the company "has not exercised it."

When asked if Tulsa, Oklahoma remains in the mix for a possible Tesla production site, Musk simply said the company continues to consider "several options."

Tesla's main vehicle factory in Fremont, California has been struggling to find room to build new models since the Model 3 ramp-up began. Remember the tent? This new facility will be responsible for Cybertruck production and Model Y production for the east coast.

There's been a great deal of speculation as to where this new Tesla facility might land, with places like Tulsa going all-out to entice the electric carmaker, but the latest information suggests Austin has a higher priority. Local newspaper the Austin-American Statesman reported on Thursday Tesla wants to begin construction of the site as early as the third quarter of this year and explicitly said Austin and Tulsa are the "current focus." A final deal in Texas, however, hinges on tax incentives that would see Tesla skip out on paying property taxes for the local school district.

Specifically, it's looking for $68 million worth of property tax credits from a Travis County school district. Tesla also confirmed in the official documents that "eight states" were also under consideration.

"We've pulled together a compelling, well-balanced and, more importantly, a responsible performance-based incentives package to attract Tesla to Oklahoma," Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce Sean Kouplen said in a statement. "Our offer not only includes the standard incentives package presented to companies interested in locating to Oklahoma, but also financial commitments to improve local infrastructure and invest in our workforce, expanding educational programs within our academic institutions to ensure Tesla has a pipeline of qualified workers to recruit."

Tesla did not respond to Roadshow's request for comment.

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Update, June 19: Adds information from local newspaper and CEO Elon Musk.

First published June 18.

Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
Kyle Hyatt
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).

Article updated on June 19, 2020 at 6:01 AM PDT

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Kyle Hyatt
Sean Szymkowski
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Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
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