Arizona Officials Invite Tesla Motors Inc CEO For Gigafactory

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Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has received an invitation letter from Arizona officials to personally visit the greater Phoenix region to see firsthand the “outstanding business environment” Arizona offers. Arizona is among the four states Tesla Motors is considering for its planned $5 billion gigafactory. The massive battery production plant will create at least 6,500 new jobs, and produce enough batteries to power 500,000 cars per year.

Tesla still mum on the gigafactory site

According to AZCentral, the Maricopa Association of Governments chairman and mayor of Mesa Scott Smith has signed the letter. It was also signed by the Maricopa Association of Governments Economic Development Committee head and mayor of Avondale, Marie Lopez-Rogers. They reached out to Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk to sell him on picking Arizona over three other states for the giant battery factory.

The one-page letter paints the state as a place with quality education system, business-friendly tax structure and skilled workforce. Scott Smith said Arizona can provide the electric car maker an ideal site for the new energy economy. The letter continued to state that Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) can join the likes of Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE:HON), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) and Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) that already have built a substantial manufacturing presence in Arizona.

Arizona assures Tesla of excellent infrastructure

The letter assured that wherever Elon Musk decides to locate the plant within Arizona, he will get very good infrastructure to meet Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s needs. It also mentioned that utility companies in Arizona have made heavy investments in renewable energy resources. Scott Smith said the Arizona Commerce Authority is working out more specific details such as incentives, taxes, and possible locations.

The other three states, Nevada, Texas and New Mexico, have also been quite vocal about persuading Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA). So far, the California-based company hasn’t divulged any other details about the site. Tesla has stated that the plant would be spread over a 1,000 acres of land.

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares skidded 0.37% to $252 in pre-market trading Friday.

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