In January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk visited Tesla’s French HQ in Chambourcy. During the event, Musk brought up the idea of building a Tesla factory somewhere in Europe, and that the French Alsace region would be a good option in terms of geography. Alsace borders both Germany and Switzerland, making distribution convenient for future products.
Musk might not have been entirely serious, but the suggestion got the wheels in motion, as French Energy Minister Ségolène Royal mentioned yesterday she had already suggested a suitable site for Tesla to set up shop.
The Fessenheim plant, conveniently located between Strasbourg and Basel, is currently the oldest operational nuclear power plant in France and already scheduled to begin shutting down. The site isn’t exactly a turn-key solution as decontamination and other deactivation duties will take years. Even so, according to Royal Musk didn’t immediately decline the offer. As the nuclear plant is closing down by the end of 2016, it is important to create new jobs in the region. As a sign of that, a video has already been created to herald Tesla’s possible Alsatian cousins.
Tesla does already have two plants in Tilburg, Netherlands, but those focus on final assembly touches along with service and distribution.
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