Tesla scouting sites in Germany for possible factory

FRANKFURT — Electric carmaker Tesla is scouting out locations for a possible factory in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state, daily Rheinische Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. First inspections have taken place, the paper said. Tesla spokespeople in Europe were not immediately available for comment.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet in April that the company was “considering” building a factory in Germany.

Last year, Musk said Germany was a leading choice in Europe to build a Gigafactory, adding “the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries”.

Germany is a leading choice for Europe. Perhaps on the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2018

NRW, Germany’s most populous state, shares borders with the Netherlands and Belgium.

Tesla is also looking at the German state of Lower Saxony, which shares a border with the Netherlands, its Economy Minister Bernd Althusmann said earlier this week.