Tesla says that it is in the planning stages for new factories in Europe and Asia to fulfill anticipated demand in those markets. It has already opened a small factory in the Netherlands that is assembling knock down kits of the Model S for European sale.
"We'll try to locate those close to where people are, close to where the customers are, to minimize the logistics costs of getting the car to them. I think long term you can see Tesla establishing factories in Europe, in other parts of the U.S. and in Asia," said founder Elon Musk in an interview on Bloomberg TV.
The company has just begun selling cars in Europe, and Tesla expects that it will build 21,000 cars this year, twice as many as last year.
The current Tesla factory is the NUMMI factory that was co-run by General Motors and Toyota and was purchased by Tesla in 2010. In the past, the factory has produced 500,000 vehicles a year, but Tesla does not have the workforce or the demand to build that many cars yet.
Tesla has two models in the works that will add more production to its California factory. The Model X crossover uses the same platform and powertrain as the Model S and is due in late 2014. It is also working on a small electric car priced at around $30,000 in the next five years.
Source: Automotive News
Tesla Planning European and Asian Factories for Future Demand :: News :: autoviva.com
