MEXICO CITY – Tesla could begin production of its first cars in Mexico next year, with the electric vehicle maker closer to receiving its final permits, allowing it to begin construction of a factory in Nuevo León near the US-Mexico border, state the governor said on Monday.
Nuevo León’s governor, Samuel Garcia, said in an interview, “They’re waiting for the final permits… Once that’s done, they can hopefully start this month in March.”
“I think by next year, in 2024, the first auto will be there.”
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk announced the investment last week, saying the Austin, Texas-based company had selected Mexico for its next “gigafactory” with plans to produce “the next generation of vehicles.”
Mexican authorities have said the factory to produce electric vehicles will be the world’s largest, with an investment of $5 billion.
Garcia said later phases of the plant could include making components such as chips and batteries.
“That’s why he bought a huge plot of land,” he said.
The site in Santa Catarina, next to the state capital Monterrey, covers several thousand acres, the local mayor said last week.
Garcia said the investment would act as an “anchor” to attract Tesla suppliers, and the green light given to Tesla by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — after the latter expressed concern over water scarcity — among others. Sent a positive signal to potential investors.
“It’s like a kind of guide, that when they want to set up here, it’s very important that they follow the law,” he said, noting that he had asked López Obrador about the state’s industrial water supply. Technical memorandum was sent.
“The President, by authorizing and endorsing Tesla, sent a message to the world that he should come to Mexico.”
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