Musk travels to UK as ministers’ search for new gigafactory
Elon Musk has fuelled speculation that Tesla models could be manufactured in Britain after he flew to the UK last week.
Ministers are currently searching for a site to build a major new car plant at short notice. The Government’s new Office for Investment has supposedly reached out to local authorities to suggest potential locations for the new factory.
The news coincided with Elon Musk’s visit to the UK last weekend, with his private jet being tracked coming into Luton on Friday and leaving two days later on Sunday.
Musk then flew over to Germany to oversee the construction of his latest Gigafactory. Reports from German media suggested that Tesla will invest ¢4bn into the site which will employ around 10,000 people and will help produce 500,000 vehicles.
The Tesla kingpin had previously said that Brexit posed too much of a risk for a major investment in the UK, however, in recent months he had been in talks with the Government over the potential use of his Starlink satellite internet service for the roll out super-fast broadband to remote areas of the UK.
The Telegraph approached Musk for comment and, on his visit to Germany he complained that red tape was slowing progress: “I think there could be less bureaucracy – that would be better.”
A spokesman for the Department for International Trade, which oversees the Office for Investment, also told The Telegraph: “We do not comment on ongoing investment projects.”
It has previously said the department is “working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development, and manufacturing across the UK.”
