Regions of Russia Are Competing to Land a Potential New Tesla Factory

Photo: Noah Berger/Reuters

Regions of Russia have entered into competition for the right to locate Tesla's plant after the company's CEO said he could consider the country as a place to expand in the future. Several Russian governors have called on Elon Musk to build a new Tesla plant on their land.

The leaders of several Russian regions have appealed to Elon Musk to build a Tesla plant in their respective territory, as reported by RBC, which monitors the accounts of politicians on social networks. This activity followed after Musk spoke positively about Russia during the New Knowledge forum, a Kremlin-sponsored student event. He also said that Tesla is close to establishing its presence in Russia, because in the framework of global expansion, it will in the future potentially look for a place to locate a factory there. “I think we’re close to establishing a Tesla presence in Russia, and I think that would be great,” he said. "Over time, we will look to have factories in other parts of the world, potentially Russia at some point."

The head of the Kaluga region Vladislav Shapsha invited Musk to open the first Tesla factory here, noting that the region is completely ready for this. “I propose to open the first plant in the Kaluga region. The region is completely ready for this,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

The Governor of the Moscow Region Andrey Vorobyov praised his region for the availability of the best specialists and logistics. He emphasized that the area already has experience of working with an automobile manufacturer since the Mercedes factory is located there.

@elonmusk Moscow region is definitely best for a #Tesla factory. Best talent, perfect logistics, Mercedes production already here! We’ll find you a perfect spot. pic.twitter.com/ayCGyBGy4y

— Андрей Воробьев (@VorobievAndrey) May 21, 2021

The head of the Udmurt Republic Alexander Brechalov extended a warm invitation to Tesla, saying that the construction site for the Tesla factory was ready. In another tweet, he also said that the region could offer the company the best talent in the country, tax breaks, and industrial parks, while also naming Udmurtia the most entrepreneurial region in Russia.

Mister @elonmusk , Udmurtia can offer you tax benefits and industrial parks. We also have the best personnel in the country! Invest in Udmurtia! Welcome to the most entrepreneurial region in Russia!

— Александр Бречалов (@brechalov) May 21, 2021

The head of the press service of the government of the Kaliningrad region, Dmitry Lyskov, told reporters that the authorities would be happy to welcome the American manufacturer. Nevertheless, he noted that Avtotor, an assembly plant that produces cars of foreign brands, should also participate in making a decision on the deployment of production.

Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Economic Policy and Property and Land Relations Vladimir Efimov also invited Tesla to set up production in Moscow. “We are certainly open to cooperation with the most innovative and advanced companies and are ready to provide all the necessary assistance to localize production in Moscow,” he said.

The governor of the Oryol region (Oryol is an eagle in Russian) Andrey Klychkov said that the Oryol (Eagle) is a symbol of "fearlessness and conquest of the peaks," which unites the city with the philosophy of Tesla. He promised the company "unique and exclusive offers" in logistics and infrastructure.

And the governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Yevgeny Kuyvashev, called his region an ideal place for the construction of a plant for the production of electric cars. He proposed to locate Tesla's factory in the Titanium Valley, which is located in a special economic zone. Here, the incentives would reduce the cost of building a new factory by 30%. In addition, the Sverdlovsk region is an industrial region with huge innovative potential.

 

H/T @rahimkom/Twitter

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