• In Mexico Tesla will make the largest car factory in the world

Earlier this week, the Minister of Industry, Héctor Gómez, said that the second call for the PERTE VEC (electric and connected vehicle) "will come out, yes or yes, before the general elections of July 23" because the "administrative machinery is oiled and perfectly prepared" for it.

Yesterday, his department held a telematic meeting with the automotive sector to update them and, although he has summoned them to another meeting to resolve doubts next week, he did confirm that they intend that projects for the construction of battery factories can be presented before July 15. This would allow the selected companies to receive the funds by 15 September at the latest. These amount to 837 million euros and have the approval of Brussels. Envision, in Extremadura, or Inobat, in Valladolid would be some of those companies, although the Chinese BYD has also sounded out presenting itself and Tata Motors has not yet ruled out 100% install one in Aragon.

Leak about Tesla

However, the great novelty is that this meeting occurred after it was leaked that the American Tesla is in negotiations with the Generalitat Valenciana for the installation of an electric car factory in that region. The project would involve an investment of 4,500 million euros, 50% more than the Seat and VW battery gigafactory in Sagunto. If it goes ahead, it would turn the Valencian Community into the largest industrial pole of electric automotive and sustainable mobility in Europe, since it would also be necessary to add the electrification of the Ford plant in Almussafes.

The contacts began almost a year ago and are reflected, as EL MUNDO has been able to corroborate, in an agreement of intentions and in the visit last week of Tesla executives to know the possible locations. However, being subject to a confidentiality clause, the Generalitat came out yesterday with a statement in which it denied "that there is a closed agreement with Tesla" and recalled that "negotiations are being held with a dozen multinationals to attract 24,000 million of investment in different strategic sectors".

Approve aid

The leak would have especially annoyed the American, which would also have France on the radar; and, apart from jeopardizing a project that would reach 15,000 indirect jobs, it could lead it to ask for more funds from PERTE VEC. In this case, from the line of aid to projects that can now be individual. If the first wave of this plan only allocated 876 of 2,975 million available, it was largely due to the complexity of initiatives that had to group companies and institutions, in different Autonomous Communities and with up to 40% of SMEs.

If successful, the plant would be the second of the manufacturer opens in Europe, after the one in Berlin that started last year. The manufacturer led by Elon Musk has five other facilities – four in the US and another in China – and at the end of February announced the construction in Mexico of the largest electric car plant in the world. It plans to invest 5,000 million dollars in it.

  • Motor industry
  • Tesla Motors
  • Elon Musk

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more