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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joins Squawk Box to discuss how Tesla's $1 billion Austin plant could impact the state's economy.
On July 23, Governor Greg Abbott announced via Twitter that Elon Musk had decided to build Tesla's next American plant in Texas. He thanked Tesla and Musk for choosing the Lone Star State to build the new Gigafactory.
Tesla picks Texas for its Cybertruck factory.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 22, 2020
Thanks to .@elonmusk & .@Tesla for embracing our great state.
The Gigafactory will employee thousands of Texans & be a cornerstone for next generation innovation.
It’s been fun to get to know you.
Welcome to Texas. pic.twitter.com/PsnfaEUHaz
“He wanted to get into a state where he had more freedom where he could expand the way he wanted to expand. He has a remarkable vision that goes far beyond just this one announcement,” Abbott said.
Located on the Colorado River, 5 minutes from the International Airport, and 15 minutes from downtown Austin, the factory will be an “ecological paradise”, according to Musk.
“We’re going to make it a factory that is going to be stunning; it's right on the Colorado River. So we’re actually going to have to have a boardwalk over you, hiking, biking trail, ” he said, adding they will be “open to the public as well.”
Governor of Texas @GregAbbott_TX compliments @elonmusk & @Tesla pic.twitter.com/wDZc2JR5Hq
— K10✨©️🐼 (@Kristennetten) July 25, 2020
Abbott said Tesla is also attracted to the talent in the area. He called Musk a “transformative thinker” and painted Texas as an optimal place to usher in that transformation.
“He knows he has a better ability to do that in Texas with the freedoms that we offer him, with the low costs that we offer him, than he does in other places, like California,” Abbott said.
Tesla estimates Giga Texas will create at least 5,000 jobs. The factory is supposed to attract thousands of new non-Tesla jobs due to secondary effects. There are many high-paying jobs in Austin right now, but “where we’re really deficient is in those middle-skill jobs,” said Mayor Steve Adler.
Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
