AUSTIN, Texas — After Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted a cryptic tweet on Tuesday, speculation is flying that the electric car and sustainable energy company could be bringing a factory to Texas.
And, since Musk recently changed his Twitter bio locator to Austin temporarily, some believe he could be hinting that Tesla will be joining the bustling tech scene here in the capital city.
The tweet in question is simple: a Twitter poll asking "Giga Texas?" along with the voting options of "Hell yeah" and "Nope."
Tesla's Gigafactory 1 currently sits in Sparks, Nevada, which produces Model 3 electric motors and battery packs, in addition to Tesla's energy storage products known as Powerwall and Powerpack. Construction began on this factory in June 2014.
In mid-2018, the Gigafactory 1 reached an annualized rate of about 20GWh, which made it the highest-volume battery plant in the world. With Tesla ramping up its production, it says the cost of battery cells will decline over the years. And with reduced costs, Tesla says it can make products available to more people.
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Tesla's Gigafactory 2 is located in Buffalo, New York, which focuses on manufacturing solar panels, Solarglass Roof, the Powerwall home battery and the Powerpack. Tesla secured this location in 2016.
Tesla, an electric vehicle and clean energy company, is currently based in Palo Alto, California.
Ed Latson, Austin Regional Manufacturers Association executive director, was optimistic about the tweet.
“In Central Texas, we have a lot to offer Elon Musk," Latson said. "We are home to one of the most advanced manufacturing clusters in the nation. It includes more than 1,700 manufacturers and employs over 63,000 people. That’s $12.5 billion in economic impact. Manufacturing jobs provide a pathway to the middle class, so we should all welcome this opportunity."
KVUE has reached out to Tesla for a statement. This story will be updated once received.
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