Tesla CEO Elon Musk vented on social media Saturday about Alameda County public health orders preventing Fremont’s Tesla plant from resuming production, and threatened to file a lawsuit and move operations to another state.
“Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA,” Musk posted on Twitter.
“Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately.”
Musk targeted Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan, who maintained Friday that production at the Tesla plant could not yet resume.
“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,” Musk tweeted.
The county’s health department issued a statement Saturday afternoon, saying that it had been working closely with Tesla in a “collaborative, good faith effort to develop and implement a safety plan that allows for reopening while protecting the health and well-being of the thousands of employees who travel to and from work at Tesla’s factory.”
Although the department didn’t announce lifting restrictions, the statement said “we look forward to coming to an agreement on an appropriate safety plan very soon.”
The department said many businesses and residents had made sacrifices to protect community health. “It is our collective responsibility to move through the phases of reopening and loosening the restrictions of the
Shelter-in-Place Order in the safest way possible, guided by data and science.”
Fremont’s mayor on Saturday issued a statement urging county officials to work with businesses, seeming to support Musk.
“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,” said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei.
113 comments
Tesla mangment is a bunch of people trying to step on eachothers throats. I haven’t meet one that I thought was a good person in my two years working in hardware in Santa Clara. Just saying it will be a blessing in disguise to get these workers out of the job pool in our area. Good riddance and good bye.
Why would Tesla go to Ace or True Value?
Yeah who needs them!
No one needs the more than $5 billion contributed to their economy or the 51,000 jobs. I’m sure Fremont can make up that lost tax revenue and replace those jobs easily…. said no one ever.
Frankly, I would trust Musk more than ANY politician.
I can appreciate Elon Musk’s frustration but quite honestly, I’m more worried about his employee’s ability to earn a living. That said, twitter has not been Elon Musk’s friend. It recently got him into trouble with the SEC. Elon Musk appears to be somewhat impulsive. His operation has been anything but stellar. Up until very recently, he failed to meet production quotas and has had countless safety violations. This virus has upended his business and will certainly impact productivity. Seems like he may make things worse for himself by moving his business. He would have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a new facility, hire a new workforce and train them.
don’t let the door hit you on the butt
let the door slam him instead
worst built cars I’ve ever seen
those cars are UGLY
I don’t blame Elon for wanting to leave the state. California has been a difficult place to run a business.
Tesla Model-S has nice body lines, in comparison to what is currently available. Not being able to do any work, maintenance, repairs, or modifications to a car myself is enough to count me out. Electric cars, in general, are ugly, too cutesy, and resemble eggs on wheels,…..nasty! I will stick with my thirsty V8 muscle cars (and my bicycles), at least until until something hotter and sexier comes along.
@ON DA,
Yeah, cars have really gone downhill since your ’72 Pinto was built. You got one of the last good ones there.
It’s OK if you can’t afford a Tesla. That’s no reason to be jealous of those who can.
Teslas continue to be plagued with quality control issues. On top of that they are about 80% BMW and Mercedes parts. Nothing special about them except for status.
Good. Smart man
True. “Departures are understandable when year after year CEOs nationwide surveyed by Chief Executive Magazine have declared California the worst state in which to do business.” So who is left to pay down that $53 BILLION in debt? Yeah, it’ll be you.
Seems like California has been a good place for Apple to headquarter. In the last 40 years, it has grown to become one of the biggest companies in the world. Uber, Twitter, Google also seem to have mad it work. Stop the whining.
Texas is much more business friendly than CA.
Do it Elon!… Give CA your middle finger!!
Good for him and Tesla. Lower taxes will just speed up his upset to the car industry. I din’t own a Tesla, but would own one if I could buy one. His major victory in the car world is the fact that he proved the market that people would buy a nice looking electric. Forcing the big 3 to actually produce nice looking electrics as well. The Prius (hybrid) was a game-changer in that field, but was never a car I would like to drive in. Just my opinion. Agree or disagree, but don’t slam it.
“Prius” sounds like a skin disease.
Tesla, get out of CA!
You value your company more than life. Guess what. companies are replaceable but human life isn’t.
Vehicles cause almost 40k deaths a year in vehicles…I guess we shouldn’t drive anymore. I always want to ask people with this point of view, what is the ENDGAME here? Many viruses never have a cure so what are we suppose to do just sit here and let the entire country go bankrupt for a virus that hasn’t caused one death to anyone under 50 in CC (and only 3 between 51-60).
Actually with cloning human life is easily replaced.
So every company should shut down completely, even grocery stores with that thought process. He is not saying safety protocalls wont be initiated.
I don’t see why Amazon should be allowed to operate, but he can’t. There are many options to safely reopen. It’s stupid to slam him when people who work for him are affected by this as well.
@ RXL
I’m confused.
Is working for Tesla compulsory or voluntary? No one is forced to work for Tesla.
Tesla is providing a voluntary contactional agreement with it’s workers. Everyone who voluntarily decides to work for Tesla knows what that agreement is. Tesla is willing to trade money for labor with mutually agreed upon working conditions.
If no workers are willing to agree to Tesla’s terms of employment they will not survive. If workers voluntarily do agree to the terms of employment they will have a job and yet Tesla still may not survive. Tesla assumes all the risk & costs, while the employee accepts none.
Economic Darwinism will decide the market place.
Less than 1% of people who contract covid-19 will die from it. More than half of those deaths occur in nursing homes.
Good for him. Running a business in this state is getting harder and harder everyday.
That’s right, something unelected bureaucrats and politicians often fail to grasp. Ya tick off rich people they may just leave.
Governors especially knee jerk liberal ones go a little nuts with power and tend to over do it. Like opening beaches but keeping Orange county beaches closed to spank 40 or so thousand who were on those beaches, week end before.
SUCH a show of maturity on newsom’s part.
From desert sun dot com, … five southern California counties have 71% of all California COVID-19 cases and account for 80% of hospitalizations.
Again, tick off rich people who have more than enough money to enable them to leave the state an live comfortably elsewhere and watch what happens.
Musk has leverage and the temperament to move everything to TEXAS. An I say GOOD FOR HIM, is about time liberals full of Hubris get another wake up call.
Sounds like Musk already had this in place and was looking for an excuse to get out of CA, even though he didn’t need one.
S and Bradd are ex employees?
no, just never been a fan…
No, I wouldn’t work for those dogs.
companies are leaving in droves!…….Liberal idiots don’t get it!
Well, he’s not wrong.
Tesla certainly wouldn’t be the first corporation to leave California for friendlier pastures, and they surely won’t be the last. It’s ok. The state can just squeeeze the rest of us taxpayers a little harder, at least until we decide to go, too.
My brother lives in Nevada and has mentioned, plans for Tesla have been in the makings for awhile. Prices of the homes in the area Tesla is moving to have jumped up.
My nephew works for Tesla in Reno. Perhaps they are moving manufacturing operations there afterall. He’ll be happy.
Elon won’t be able to smoke weed in Texas.
Where will he get all his ideas?
Why, has Willie finished all of it?
Good for him!
Man, you know bay area policy is horrible if even globalist liberal weed smoking on tv elon musk is criticizing you and moving his business out from under your jurisdiction
Another with mental health issues who cares more about his pockets that his employees and the general public. Just like watching an temper tantrum but rather than a child it’s an adult. Disgusting.
well said
If there was a condition (just play along with me), that restricted everyone from driving, we’d immediately save like 40k lives a year, right?
And once conditions changed, and we began to “phase in” our driving once again, and what point would we call it *safe*?
People that claim “if we just save one single life” are not living in reality, IMO. Flying, automobiles, power tools, swimming pools, knives etc. are responsible for thousands of deaths every single year. But we still accept, use and own them.
But there is a balance that must be reached, and “zero” deaths should not be the goal when stopping our huge economy…which has immeasurable consequences.
Reasonable measures must be taken, sure. But by virtue of everyone living in the US of A, and driving or owning a swimming pool, we have ACCEPTED the risk involved, and are unwillingly okay with it…the death rates then receive “everyone’s approval”, like it or not…
Susan unless your a psychologist, you actually sound like a wacko thinking you’re qualified diagnosing someone with a mental illness. Interesting way of painting people you don’t agree with as crazy. Classic tactics of Bay Area Democrats. Shameful, watch your hero’s fall
It would cost a lot and take quite a while to move.
This guy is a serial attention seeking rich guy and he is bluffing.
How do we really know? Could be costing him a lot more to sit idle and not operate due to bad policy. Why not cut his losses and lose less by moving?
It will be a 100% Chinese operation soon enough
Keep dreaming
I understand saying “good for him, teach California a lesson” etc. However this would be the worst time for California to lose his business. How many years will it take to overcome the $54 Billion deficit?
Other states will compete for his business and probably get it. Imagine California, the national leaders of the green movement, losing a zero emissions auto manufacturer. What an embarrassment.
Zero emissions vs. zero negotiating skills!
We can’t afford to screw around with this guy, so our leaders need to come to the table provided he will entertain them.
If California could get Chevron to leave also, the Bay Area would be much gooder.
Gooder……word of the day
Gooder … I like it.
I’ll use it from now on!
Seriously though, every time any refinery gets shut down due to repairs or scheduled maintenance, the price of gasoline spikes throughout the state. Since California requires a special flavor gasoline, it’s not like there is a lot of backup production. Yet there are plenty of people who would love to see them move or shut down. Go figure.
Maybe they should build more electric cars in the state or something. Then they can work on putting PG&E out of business.
😉
Well, they’re working hard to get rid of Tesla, among other business, so watch out PG&E. PUC will fine you even more money that will be passed down to customers as rate increases
I am surprised Chevron HQ is still in San Ramon!
Chevron Richmond – even the city council folks, and the mayor have participated in the many protests there to shut them down.
Many, such as that group, have this fantasy that “we’ll just shut them down, and build condos and have windmills powering the area”. They have no idea what the soil contamination treatment would require. Might not even be possible to get zoned residential.
And if Richmond refinery did shut down, the city would go broker than it is now. So much of the economy in Richmond is a direct result from the economic activity created by the refinery. People are living in a fantasy world when they think they would be fine just shutting them down…
Anyone ever seen his Space-X satellite train? I saw it a couple of months ago coming over my house and thought it was an alien frikken invasion.
https://www.sciencealert.com/elon-musk-s-starlink-satellite-train-looks-amazing-but-astronomers-have-real-concerns
Ohio is letting automakers reopen. Once companies such as Tesla can point to what other states are doing, I think it will be tougher to defend overly harsh restrictions.
Lordstown Ohio is back!!
Good for him, most people only see the personality
not the economic impact.
Are you happy now, Dems???
Not sure if this applies:
Section 242 of Title 18 makes it a crime for any person acting under the color of law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the constitution or laws of the United States.
He isn’t going to leave. My company and many more have been building all his new plants here in the bay. He’s not taking a bath on the hundreds of millions he’s been spending on that
Companies make billion dollar moves all the time. I worked at a biotech for 10 years. They spent 500 million to transfer a division from the east to the west. 3 years later they shut that division down and moved the remainder back east. Tax incentives save them billions in the long run. He might not leave, but CA will have to work with him to make it enticing.
I agree. Don’t imagine some infrastructure investment is a permanent anchor. If it saves them money in the long run they will consider it. Corporations do not have consciences, only calculators.
So there’s only a handful of states that have EV programs, California being one of them. I don’t believe Nevada or Texas do. Doesn’t mean he can’t make them there, but there are other factors involved that will complicate everything. Moving or setting up an entire plant is not a trivial process, would be costly, time consuming, and he’d either have to train all new staff or relocate people. Sorry, but I think he’s simply full of BS here. Tesla needs to open and start production if the competition is doing the same. A simple call to the Governor to discuss I think would have sufficed. But Elon acts irrational. I think it’s what happens when you have too much money and you don’t like being told what can or cannot do. Some people simply don’t live in the real world. They live in a bubble. There’s no doubt in my mind that they have a great product. Tantrums really don’t endear me to him though. That being said, I would like to see Tesla reopen in California.
By the way, I think many people hate Tesla for the sole reason that it’s different and that you don’t need gas. People are all for Tesla leaving, not because they care at all, but because they hate Tesla with a passion. If Tesla truly leaves California, after everything California has done for EVs, then Elon Musk is the bigger fool than I ever realized. There are other ways to accomplish what you need. Threats and destroying the Fremont economy and potentially putting many people out of work is unnecessary.
California works very hard to punish companies for doing business in the state. I understand Musk’s frustration, but I don’t think he’ll totally leave the state. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he moved offices out of state, as well as building any new facilities somewhere else.
There is a tangible anti-business climate in California that’s even in evidence here on Claycord. People brag about California’s economy while at the same time preach against the agriculture and industry that fuel that economy. But hey, maybe more taxes, more regulations, and more government interference will convince the providers of jobs to hang around instead of leaving. We’ll have to see!
I want to see Musk also move the HQ and engineers to another state why leave the big salary people in CA if he really wants to show who’s boss.
Some folks get bent because Tesla drivers are smug. I maintain that cool cars don’t have an extension cord, but I digress.
Mr. Musk is a wacky dude that swings a big economic stick. He is capable of taking huge financial gambles so this will be interesting.
I love Tesla. I love their cars. I like Elon Musk. I think he is a genius no doubt. But I also think that geniuses are capable like any human of acting like complete children. Sometimes he reminds me of how I act when I am drunk
Go for it Elon, it’s about Business and taxes and this damn virus. Do what you must.
Comin atcha live is my favorite tesla song. Sucks they are leaving. If Ratt leaves, I leave!
While moving the CA plant, bring your Chinese Plant to the United States and employ more US Workers.
I might be wrong, but I think his China plants are more for producing/selling those in China. I am pretty sure that his vehicles are not imported on top of those made in USA. However, as I said, I might be wrong as I have not done any research on it.
We need more bright voters like Cowellian to make California a much ‘gooder’ place.
You know I no longer vote in California, right?
@RT… Well Cowellian’s comments are gooder than yours.
Cool, we definitely are ‘gooder’ then
ya got ur: good.
ya got ur: gooder.
and now may I introduce: Gooderest.
I hope the governor steps in and come up with a compromise before it escalates any further.
That California is tough to deal with is not news-the big 3 closed all 5 of their
assembly here plants decades ago. Taxes, regulations and cost of living are
the reasons.
I can’t blame him.
Another example of an spoiled empathy lacking leader…
Based on the governor and his miss management I could see several other businesses leaving
I hope every business harmed or bankrupted by Newsome sues the state and our (I haven’t had a haircut in 6 weeks, honest) Governor for an illegal take. His orders have been arbitrary and capricious and merit sanction, as in bankrupt the Getty-Boy.
Liberal plan – punish business.
Business reaction – buh bye.
I like Gavin and Elon. I would say that Gavin was probably more grounded like five years ago and of course power brings confusion and power will go to your head. Elon is on another good one…
:Popcorn:
Yeah….he’s the problem.
Tesla is in the lion’s den of liberalism. In their fight for talented tech workers they had to accept the high overhead from being in CA. If the property tax on business is passed I would not be surprised if many more business flee.
Alameda County becoming a shell of its former self: Tesla threatens to move Fremont Plant, Nordstrom to permanently close its Stoneridge Pleasanton store, Delta Airlines announces it will suspends all flights out of Oakland Airport starting Wednesday, Golden State Warriors move to San Francisco, Oakland Raiders leave for Las Vegas. Who is next?
This should be a wake up call for Newsome. The last thing CA needs is this loss of tax revenue. CA has created a hostile environment for businesses, and hence, the loss of tax revenue. But I’m sure our “governor” has a great plan to tax the living crap out of the middle class to make up for this poor fiscal decisions of late.
hope he re-considers. Its a lot of good jobs and a revolutionary product that keeps getting better each year. Tesla has forced car manufactures to step up and that competition is what make America the best and strongest country.
Elon is right.
When you’re looking for a job and all of the employers are gone, don’t come crying.
The Bay Area economy has been destroyed and you ain’t seen nothing yet.
The nice weather is no longer worth it.
smart move…just surprised he didn’t do it earlier. Now watch the idiot politicians scratch their heads wondering why another company has left CA for greener pastures. CA voters need to wake up and take a whiff of reality.
What everyone has failed to see is the HUGE payout Musk will receive, as long as the current level of production is maintained. His contract guarantee is for $650 BILLION after a 10 year period has elapsed, and production is maintained at the current level. This $650 billion would easily make him the world’s richest person. It is easy to see why he is resisting being shut down; health over wealth? No way.
I prefer a diesel manual. Why are Tesla drivers the most arrogant on the road? Typical liberal. He wants less regualtion and lower taxes so he goes to a red state and then will try & turn it blue and need to flee again.
I find Prius drivers to be the most annoying and incompetent. But your results may vary.
I feel the same about Prius drivers too.
I see lots of Musk-hate here. Personally, I’m happy with my 2014 Hondas and have no need or desire to have car payments anytime soon. But you folks better understand something. Musk made a public announcement, but most companies simply up and leave. And now that a lot of employers have seen that employees can work remotely, regulations in California will only get worse, taxes are bound to go up, etc…expect more high-paying jobs to simply disappear.
Telsa has a history of problems with worker safety, and they were fined 54 times by California Occupational Safety and Health Administration from 2014 to 2018. They’ve been fined more than any other automobile manufacturing plant in the US, and they don’t even make that many cars compared to other plants.
On the TV news, it was reported that Telsa was told they could resume on May 18th. So Elon is throwing a tantrum over a matter of 1 week and a couple of days. It would take longer than a week to move the company, and to move the plant operations to a new location. Another news reporter interviewed an market analyst who said it would be foolish for Elon to walk away from the investment that was put into the Fremont plant. They don’t sell that many cars, and it would take a long time to make up for the loss in the investment if they walked away.
The Tesla board wanted to kick Elon off the board last year, because of his erratic behavior. He also got in trouble with the SEC for using Twitter posts to manipulate the Telsa stock price. Yesterday his mood on Twitter spun wildly from talking about bees wearing little hats to threatening to sue the state of California. He’s not a stable person.
What were they fined for? Was it really about worker safety, or was it more BS California overregulation?
It stands to reason that they would run afoul of OSHA more than automakers in other states if California has a whole bunch more rules to keep up with.
Not sure why some of you don’t think straight. Tesla employs a lot of people who would be out of a job. About ten thousand of them. Maybe you would feel better if the Chinese took over the Fremont plant.
10,000 Jobs. What’s Gavin gonna do? Tick toc
Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, gave a rather eloquent response on behalf of California, letting Musk understand just how welcome he is in the state. Surely, he’ll reconsider and remain in the Golden State now!
She’s a peach. Needs a muffler.
Amazing that people with such limited vocabularies can get elected to office.
How quickly the left devours one of their own who dares question……
And everyone here believes the talking heads and politicians – and everyone claims to be an expert on economics and manufacturing.
Really? Has anyone learned the facts? Is anyone capable of independent thinking?
Wow.
2,700 = approx. covid deaths in CA
39,500,000 = CA population 2019
0.006835443 = % of CA deaths due to Covid
His manner and judgment are questionable but he’s a visionary. A cat of rare intellect, energy and imagination. We should to the degree possible, accommodate him. He gets s**t done.
Reuters is reporting that the Tesla plant reopened today, and it appears that Musk is daring the state to arrest him.
Well, that’s a big middle finger to the King of California, isn’t it?
That would be my interpretation, but I’m waiting on Lorena Gonzalez’s opinion on the matter.
Lorena Gonzalez’s opinion has been censored!
Musk’s statement was posted on the Internet. Twitter is just a soapbox in the town square and should be regarded as such. Words written there have no value.
Twitter has been instrumental in assisting in revolutionary movements around the world in recent years.
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