# Tesla prepared to move out of California amid fight over factory shutdown, Musk tweets



## Pickle Dick (May 9, 2020)

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/09/elo...mont-factory-shutdown-due-to-coronavirus.html (archive)

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KEY POINTS

Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that he is going to sue Alameda County and move future operations out of California after a dispute over whether the company can reopen its factory there.
Musk has been clashing with regulators over local shelter-in-place orders meant to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter Saturday that the company is preparing to file a lawsuit against Alameda County and will move its headquarters and future operations out of California. 

On Friday, Alameda County’s interim public health officer, Dr. Erica Pan, said that health orders to contain a Covid-19 outbreak in the region are still in place, and that Tesla does not have a “green light,” to resume vehicle production at its main U.S. car plant in Fremont, California, yet. She also noted, “We have been working with them, looking at some of their safety plans, and have had some recommendations.”

Tesla had wanted to start production again on Friday afternoon. The plant is where the company makes vehicles for Europe and North America.  The company’s headquarters are in Palo Alto, not part of Alameda County.

Unlike other automakers, Tesla’s employees are not part of a union, so it would be easier for the company to significantly alter its operations. 

Insulting Pan personally, Musk wrote on Twitter:

“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant ‘Interim Health Officer’ of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”

He also claimed that: “Tesla knows far more about what needs to be done to be safe through our Tesla China factory experience than an (unelected) interim junior official in Alameda County.” 

Alameda County responded with a statement saying its Health Care Services Agency and Public Health Department have been working closely with Tesla in Fremont on a safety plan. They said they aim for Tesla to reopen while protecting the health of thousands of employees who travel to and from work at the factory.

“We look forward to coming to an agreement on an appropriate safety plan very soon,” the county said without offering specific details on a timeline. “We appreciate that our residents and businesses have made tremendous sacrifices and that together we have been able to save lives and protect community health in our region. We need to continue to work together so those sacrifices don’t go to waste and that we maintain our gains.”

While Musk characterized Pan as “ignorant,” the doctor has deep experience in both public health and infectious diseases.

Among other things, Pan is a graduate of Tufts medical school, completed a residency and fellowship at UCSF and has worked at Alameda County Public Health Department since 2011 while also working as a physician and professor. She previously worked for six years as the Director of Bioterrorism and Infectious Disease Emergencies at San Francisco Public Health Department, according to her resume on LinkedIn.

Previously, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO cursed and called Covid-19 health orders “fascist,” on a Tesla earnings call. He also erroneously stated that children are “essentially immune” to Covid-19, among other controversial tweets about the novel coronavirus and governments’ efforts to deal with the pandemic. 

Musk, who has a following of more than 33 million on Twitter, also encouraged shareholders to file a class action lawsuit against the county. 

After the provocative string of tweets from Musk on Saturday, Fremont Mayor Lily Mei said in a statement:  “As the local shelter-in-place order continues without provisions for major manufacturing activity, such as Tesla, to resume, I am growing concerned about the potential implications for our regional economy.” She also expressed support for Tesla specifically, and urged the county authorities to “come up with acceptable guidelines,” to help Tesla and others reopen their businesses.

One Fremont based Tesla employee told CNBC workers there don’t know how to feel about Musk’s tweets on Saturday. This person, who asked to remain un-named as they did not have permission to give media interviews, said many Tesla employees would prefer that the CEO would just work with the county, make sure the factory is safe, and reopen as quickly as possible. 

Tesla did not reply to a request for further information about its plans to sue Alameda County, and move headquarters out of the state, as Musk said they intend to do.

The SEC previously sued Tesla and Musk after the CEO tweeted that he would take the company private at $420 per share, and had funding secured. The agency said those tweets violated securities laws. As part of the eventual settlement between them, Musk agreed to have his Tesla communications reviewed by in-house counsel or some other so-called Twitter-sitter. It was not clear whether his Saturday tweets were approved by such a point person at Tesla.

Tesla shares have been on a run in 2020 and are up more than 95% for the year.

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If Musk does end up moving operations to either Nevada or Texas, then lol good


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## 2Spicy4ThePepper (May 9, 2020)

This is the best season of Silicon Valley yet.


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## Tim Buckley (May 9, 2020)

Good for them, I wouldn't wish for my worst enemies to be located in that shithole.


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## crocodilian (May 9, 2020)

I'm not sure how well-made current Tesla vehicles are, but if the next batch is being manufactured in China 100%, you can kiss that level of quality goodbye.


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## carltondanks (May 9, 2020)

on one hand, this is not going to help with decreasing the spread of covid 19

on the other hand, i doubt the US government will do anything if millions go homeless because they couldn't pay their rent due to not having a job


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## Harvey Danger (May 9, 2020)

Elon Musk is like a guy who took Trump's example the wrong way.

Trump shitposts about stuff and doesn't mean anything by it. It's a distraction from what he's actually trying to do.  But Elon shitposts to move billions of dollars around in the most absurdly straightforward way possible.


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## Cedric_Eff (May 9, 2020)

If that’s the case, then I’d wager they’d move somewhere near Boca Chica considering their SpaceX research facilities are there.


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## I can't imagine (May 9, 2020)

Cedric_Eff said:


> If that’s the case, then I’d wager they’d move somewhere near Boca Chica considering their SpaceX research facilities are there.



He's been talking about relocating to Texas (I assume in the vicinity of the SpaceX facilities you're referring to) or Nevada (presumably near the gigafactory in the northwest part of the state).  Though in both cases, the states have plenty of other huge empty spots he could build a factory, so he might choose other locations.

Or, y'know, it's just a threat he's making, hoping it'll work.  You never know with Musk.


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## snailslime (May 9, 2020)

He must be out of coke or currently on a lot of it


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## Cedric_Eff (May 9, 2020)

I can't imagine said:


> He's been talking about relocating to Texas (I assume in the vicinity of the SpaceX facilities you're referring to) or Nevada (presumably near the gigafactory in the northwest part of the state).  Though in both cases, the states have plenty of other huge empty spots he could build a factory, so he might choose other locations.
> 
> Or, y'know, it's just a threat he's making, hoping it'll work.  You never know with Musk.


But it would be beneficial  for them to set up the factory not too far from Boca Chica, TX tho.


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## I can't imagine (May 9, 2020)

Cedric_Eff said:


> But it would be beneficial  for them to set up the factory not too far from Boca Chica, TX tho.



Out of curiosity, why there specifically?  I'd think there were better places in Texas for a giant factory than the coast in a hurricane zone.


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## Cedric_Eff (May 9, 2020)

I can't imagine said:


> Out of curiosity, why there specifically?  I'd think there were better places in Texas for a giant factory than the coast in a hurricane zone.


Like I mentioned, proximity to the Boca Chica test site.


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## RA-5C Vigilante (May 9, 2020)

This isn't Wholesome 100 Keanuchungus Elon


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## I can't imagine (May 9, 2020)

Cedric_Eff said:


> Like I mentioned, proximity to the Boca Chica test site.



From a practical standpoint, it would probably make more sense to stick it near the Nevada gigafactory, since it assembles batteries for the cars.  Cut down on the costs of transporting thousands of tons of batteries hundreds of miles.

The Boca Chica test site doesn't really do anything related to cars, and isn't even the same company.  

On the other hand, trying to predict what Elon Musk is really a fool's errand.  It'll probably be some other place entirely.


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## Dark Emporer Dood (May 9, 2020)

crocodilian said:


> I'm not sure how well-made current Tesla vehicles are, but if the next batch is being manufactured in China 100%, you can kiss that level of quality goodbye.


If they're anything like previous models, expect mis-aligned panels and cracked roof pillars. A lot of the electronics and what not are probably Chinese and we've seen how well that part of the car holds up. On models maybe just a few years old the screens wear out, said screens control your HVAC and many other gadgets since buttons and switches are too costly for a "high end" car.

To me they're the modern SAAB, but with DLC. Thankfully Tesla doesnt make any airplanes afaik.


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## Meat Poultry Veg (May 10, 2020)

Oh no, there goes all of CA's tax revenue--

...except for the fact that between the top and bottom lines are zillions of money wasting moronic SJW pet causes, public works projects with the transparency of the Mafia, and the importation of the rest of the country's homeless. I swear that if the elites weren't swimming in slush fund money, the entire state would look like a giant, mainland Haiti.


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## Xarpho (May 10, 2020)

Please stay in California. We red and reddish states don't want your filth.


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## It's HK-47 (May 10, 2020)

Californian politicians really are a special brand of stupid.


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## Dante Alighieri (May 10, 2020)

It's HK-47 said:


> View attachment 1282972 View attachment 1282971
> 
> Californian politicians really are a special brand of stupid.


She really puts being latino ahead of being American, huh. Calicucks indeed.


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## Cure Milquetoast (May 10, 2020)

I had a roommate who is/was an accountant for Tesla, and although he spared a lot of specific details, apparently they do a lot of bullshitting wrt their taxes and numbers. Also that corporate doesn’t give a shit about other corporate employees come in late. Haven’t talked to him since I moved a year ago, but I can’t imagine it got better.


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## Super-Chevy454 (May 10, 2020)

It's HK-47 said:


> View attachment 1282972 View attachment 1282971
> 
> Californian politicians really are a special brand of stupid.



I got the feeling then someone will said "hold my beer" and doing something much more stupid.


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## Pissmaster (May 10, 2020)

I'm happy with any decision that shits on California, a state so drenched in hobo piss it's nicknamed the Golden State


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## FuckedUp (May 10, 2020)

Cool, now we just need the rest of big tech to relocate and destroy Cali.


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## Terrorist (May 10, 2020)

FuckedUp said:


> Cool, now we just need the rest of big tech to relocate and destroy Cali.



Big Tech is the problem. Nuke Cali and them with it.


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## HiddenFist (May 10, 2020)

FuckedUp said:


> Cool, now we just need the rest of big tech to relocate and destroy Cali.


Big Tech needs to stay in California. They bring the exact policies and mindsets that have help ruin California to Colorado, Nevada, Austin, Portland, Seattle, and more places along with driving up the standard of living.


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## mindlessobserver (May 11, 2020)

Honestly any company worth anything would be better served relocating to the East Coast. Particularly the southeast coast. But even then they have the issue of carrying the toxin that they are fleeing from with them.

It's been a major historical inversion in the past decade but a shocking number of west coast businesses have started to move their operations to the east coast. Following an exodus of population from the West to the East. It has led to issues. Mainly because all these fucking californians fleeing their failed society cannot help but to try and implement the policies that failed their old home in the new.

I have often seen Texans bitch about the California Exodus, but they got nothing on what Virginia and North Carolina are having to deal with. Virginia is on the cusp of a statewide civil war with armed natives telling the current carpet bagger administration to fuck off or else, while North Carolina is happily doing what it can to disenfranchise its urban areas ever since they became lousy with Californians following the massive expansion of Wells Fargo.

Musk can try and flee California, but so long as Californians fill his corporate ranks he will never escape it.


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## MrJokerRager (May 11, 2020)

mindlessobserver said:


> Honestly any company worth anything would be better served relocating to the East Coast. Particularly the southeast coast. But even then they have the issue of carrying the toxin that they are fleeing from with them.
> 
> It's been a major historical inversion in the past decade but a shocking number of west coast businesses have started to move their operations to the east coast. Following an exodus of population from the West to the East. It has led to issues. Mainly because all these fucking californians fleeing their failed society cannot help but to try and implement the policies that failed their old home in the new.
> 
> ...


Nice to see Republicans cucking themselves in the name of "muh free enterprise" and sucking Big Business's cock. When will they realize today's elites and big business are no longer want to join the Republicans but the Democrats. Maybe they should join the Democrats.


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## Tanner Glass (May 11, 2020)

HiddenFist said:


> Big Tech needs to stay in California. They bring the exact policies and mindsets that have help ruin California to Colorado, Nevada, Austin, Portland, Seattle, and more places along with driving up the standard of living.



It's hard to describe how turbofucked Nevada would be if Tesla decided to haphazardly move here in full.

Gigafactory 1 (the one in Nevada), which is allegedly operating at ~20% of it's physical capacity - still employed (pre COVID) 3,000+ people. To people in big cities, that sounds like a "who gives a fuck" but just 3,000 people makes it the third biggest company operating in the town, by a decent margin. The area is already having massive problems with rent, housing, and infrastructure that only got way worse with Gigafactory 1 opening.

The Cali Headcount appears to be (roughly) 15,000 people, if they moved to Nevada it would basically shatter the entire area. It would be poised to make the absolute gangbang of Seattle courtesy of Amazon/Starbucks looks like a consensual handshake in comparison.


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## tehpope (May 11, 2020)

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1259945593805221891
		



			https://archive.vn/wS8gQ


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## ditto (May 11, 2020)

Cure Milquetoast said:


> I had a roommate who is/was an accountant for Tesla, and although he spared a lot of specific details, apparently they do a lot of bullshitting wrt their taxes and numbers. Also that corporate doesn’t give a shit about other corporate employees come in late. Haven’t talked to him since I moved a year ago, but I can’t imagine it got better.


That was the case with their one profitable quarter. Accounting tricks up the wazoo.


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## BeboRefugee (May 12, 2020)

tehpope said:


> View attachment 1286618
> 
> 
> https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1259945593805221891
> ...


Wouldn't be the first African-American separated from their newborn by the justice system...


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## Cure Milquetoast (May 12, 2020)

tehpope said:


> View attachment 1286618
> 
> 
> https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1259945593805221891
> ...


I honestly don't think this is going to go well. While I don't think Elon is going to get arrested purely from opening the factory, I think it's very likely we will see an outbreak stemming from the factory. Alameda County isn't anywhere close to LA in terms of outbreaks, but most of the cases are among low-income communities, and you don't need a high school degree to work the assembly line.


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## FuckedUp (May 12, 2020)

Cure Milquetoast said:


> I honestly don't think this is going to go well. While I don't think Elon is going to get arrested purely from opening the factory, I think it's very likely we will see an outbreak stemming from the factory. Alameda County isn't anywhere close to LA in terms of outbreaks, but most of the cases are among low-income communities, and you don't need a high school degree to work the assembly line.


Cool, more steps toward herd immunity.


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## Absolutego (May 12, 2020)

Elon Musk getting in a pointless ego-off with the state of California?


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## thejackal (May 12, 2020)

Absolutego said:


> Elon Musk getting in a pointless ego-off with the state of California?



It's entertaining and there's def a method to his madness imo.  Longer he keeps TSLA in the news (while not making or selling any cars) longer he can prop the stock and value up.  Corona has been horrible for TSLA, they are literally losing their tech advantage to other companies every day and meanwhile can't profit off their head start.

Some are speculating Musk wants the AI that comes out of Tesla and doesn't give half a shit about the actual cars long term.  Might be right.  Imagine if Tesla AI drives 60% of the world's automated fleet in 2040, Tesla brand or not.


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## TheShedCollector (May 14, 2020)

It's just hot air from the worlds favorite bullshit merchant. You don't invest $300 million or whatever building a state of the art factory and then just move it around like it's a caravan. Sooner Elon Musk shoots himself into space in a plastic bag the happier I'll be.


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## Michael Jacks0n (May 14, 2020)

It's HK-47 said:


> View attachment 1282972 View attachment 1282971
> 
> Californian politicians really are a special brand of stupid.



Libtards don't like the fact that the most successful African-American is white.


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