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French Economy Minister Visits Tesla’s Fremont Assembly, Tempts Tesla To Built Next Facility In France
4 hours ago by Mark Kane 15Comments
Tesla Tilburg Factory
Tesla manufacturing is present in Europe through its Tilburg, Netherlands final assembly factory (or put another war, its re-assembly factory to avoid certain European fees for a full import), and also recently in Germany due acquisition of Grohmann Engineering.
Tesla Model S
Now, France’s Economy Minister Michel Sapin would like to encourage Tesla to also turn its eyes to his country in terms of a new investment in Europe, like for Gigafactory 2.
Sapin visited the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California on Friday, among others in Silicon Valley, so he probably brought some incentive package for Tesla’s consideration.
“France’s Economy Minister Michel Sapin is due to tour the company’s production site Friday in Fremont, California, to argue that if Tesla is going to expand, it should do so in France, a ministry spokeswoman said.
Sapin is attempting a variation on the tradition that sees French politicians heading to the U.S. amid CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas to promote the country’s push for innovation.”
Last year, French Environment Minister Segolene Royal made the suggestion For Tesla to build a new factory on the site of France’s oldest nuclear reactor Fessenheim.
source: Bloomberg
Tags: europe, france, tesla, tesla france, Tesla Motors
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15 responses to "French Economy Minister Visits Tesla’s Fremont Assembly, Tempts Tesla To Built Next Facility In France"
Leave a Reply
CLIVE
January 7, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Smart move.
Replyjahav
January 7, 2017 at 4:14 pm
Strike is nearly a national pastime in France. Combined with 35 hour workweek and business unfriendly environment (there is a reason why so many French companies have exactly 49 employees), hard-to-fire workers… I just don’t see it. Not impossible, but unlikely (doesn’t hurt to try though).
I would bet on Germany or Easter Europe.
ReplyRebel44
January 7, 2017 at 4:21 pm
considering french labor laws, they have no chance in hell.
ReplyAlphaEdge
January 7, 2017 at 4:34 pm
LOL! Elon is too smart for that.
Reply
January 7, 2017 at 5:10 pm
That I do not doubt.
However you can not blame him for trying.
Replyfloydboy
January 7, 2017 at 5:28 pm
Climate(lots of solar), access and low labor costs favor Spain.
ReplyRob Stark
January 7, 2017 at 5:58 pm
Pro-Business, Pro-American, Pro-BEV anti-diesel French environment is the perfect place for the Euro-Gigafactory.
Elon may only get kidnapped a few times per decade.
ReplyBoris
January 7, 2017 at 6:29 pm
My bet is on Germany as that is the key (and the most difficult) market for a non-german car manufacturer to succeed in. A Tesla Made in Germany will be great PR too…
Reply
wavelet
January 7, 2017 at 7:14 pm
Germany? For a full-on factory? Far too expensive. Also, very expensive electricity.
Poland or Slovenia — cheaper labor (latter also lots of hydro electricity) are more likely; if Western Europe, Spain is likeliest.
ReplyAlfred
January 7, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Goodyear tried a few years ago to buy a French tyre factory: see the letter of the CEO to the French minister:
February 8, 2013
Mr. Arnaud Montebourg Ministere Ou Redressement Productif
139 rue de Berey Teledoc 136
75572 Paris cedes 12
Dear Mr. Montebourg:
I have just returned to the United States from Australia where I have been for the past few weeks on business: therefore, my apologies for not answering your letter dated 31 January 2013.
I appreciate your thinking that your Ministry is protecting Industrial activities and jobs In France. I and Titan have a 40-year history of buying closed factories and companies, losing millions of dollars and turning them around to create a good business, paying good wages. Goodyear tried for over four years to save part of the Amiens jobs that are some of the highest paid, but the French unions and French government did nothing but talk.
I have visited that factory a couple of times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours. They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three and work for three. I told this to the French union workers to their faces. They told me that’s the French way!
You are a politiclan so you don’t want to rock the boat. The Chinese are shipping tires into France – really all over Europe – and yet you do nothing. The Chinese government subsidizes all the tire companies. In five years, Michelin won’t be able to produce tires in France. France will lose its industrial business because its government is more government.
Sir, your letter states that you want Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you think we are? Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tires. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government. The French farmer wants cheap tires. He does not care if the tires are from China or India and these governments are subsidizing them. Your government doesn’t care either: MWe’re French!”
The U.S. government is not much better than the French. Titan had to pay millions to Washington lawyers to sue the Chinese lire companies because of their subsidizing. Titan won. The government collects the duties. We don’t get the duties, the government does.
Titan is going to buy a Chinese tire company or an Indian one, pay less than one Euro per hour wage and ship all the tires France needs. You can keep the so-called workers. Titan has no interest in the Amien North factory.
Best regards,
Maurice M. Taylor, Jr. Chairman and CEO
TITAN INTERNATIONAL INC.
2701 SPRUCE STREET• QUINCY, ILLJNOIS 62301 (217) 228-6011 • FAX: (217) 228-3166
Reply
January 7, 2017 at 6:46 pm
Sorry, it is Titan trying to buy a Goodyear factory.
ReplyPushmi-Pullyu
January 7, 2017 at 6:41 pm
I thought Tesla said something about Eastern Europe for the Gigafactory 2, or was that just a rumor?
Anyway, for some reason the French courting Tesla makes me think of Elmer Fudd trying to court Bugs Bunny when the latter is in drag! Bugs isn’t serious there, and I seriously doubt that Tesla is seriously thinking about putting a major manufacturing facility in France.
ReplyClive
January 7, 2017 at 7:23 pm
The same goes for Australia, it is seriously business unfriendly. Union muscle, red tape, high minimum wages, much cheaper to import.
ReplyAll-Purpose Guru
January 7, 2017 at 7:37 pm
An old nuclear power plant as a site for a factory? What could possibly go wrong?
Mark, appreciate the article, but can you please read them over an extra time before you publish them? Lots of typing errors that make it harder to read your article. You get the point across, but it’s kind of like driving down a bumpy road.
Reply
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French Economy Minister Visits Tesla’s Fremont Assembly, Tempts Tesla To Built Next Facility In Fran
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