Despite the local orders in place to not reopen, Elon Musk has decided to open up Tesla’s electric vehicle plant in California despite warnings not too.
According to BBC News, Tesla is reopening their electric car plant in California. The reopening is in defiance of local orders not too, and comes straight from Tesla’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Over the past few weeks Musk has been very vocal about the quarantine and lockdown, even going as far as to say “FREE AMERICA NOW” on Twitter. In response to the announcement that manufacturing plants would not be allowed to reopen just yet, Musk threatened to move Tesla’s HQ outside of California.
In an attempt to get Alameda County to lessen the restrictions on manufacturing, Tesla is filing a lawsuit against the county. The state of California itself has actually lessened their restrictions, but Alameda County has not. A fact that continues to enrage Tesla’s chief executive. Rather than wait for the lawsuit to inevitably conclude, Musk has decided to simply reopen the plant despite orders not too. He announced the reopening over Twitter.
In a show of solidarity, Elon Musk will be on the production line alongside his employees. In the same Tweet in which he announces that the company reopens, he asks that he be the only one arrested should the police department choose to take action. As of now the local police department has stated they will be taking directions from the Alameda County Public Health Department. The ACPHD is reportedly speaking with Tesla, and is taking the same approach that was taken with all other businesses that defied lockdown orders. In other words, they are not treating Tesla’s defiance as anything special.
In an email written by Elon Musk, he states the decision is in line with California’s guidelines. According to several of his follow up tweets, he claims Tesla has been singled out (which makes sense when you consider that other vehicle manufacturers have been allowed to restart production). Musk is threatening to move the plant out of state if that is what needs to be done.
Other News: Tesla Helping NY.
Texas, Utah, Georgia, and even Nevada have all reached out to Tesla and offered a variety of incentives should Musk choose to move his HQ to one of their jurisdictions.