Tesla boss Elon Musk flew into the 海角视频 on a private jet last weekend, fuelling rumours he is still mulling a factory opening in Britain.
According to the Times , the tech billionaires arrived on his $70m Gulfstream G650ER plane on Friday and left on Sunday evening.
Speculation over a 海角视频 Tesla factory started in 2020, after the US tycoon reportedly flew into Britain to visit a number of sites, including one in , amid potential plans to build a 90-acre electric car plant.
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The rumours were strengthened this year when the 海角视频’s business secretary backed the ability of the county to "sustain an excellent gigafactory" and confirmed the Government was "considering" the site, BusinessLive’s sister site reported.
The place being mooted was Gravity - a so-called ‘smart campus’ near Bridgwater - that had previously stated its aim to attract "world-leaders" in advanced manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles to the site.
Kwasi Kwarteng said Somerset had the manufacturing “skill and competence to be able to sustain an excellent gigafactory", adding that the Government was "considering and looking" at the site, according to SomersetLive.
The minister was replying in the House of Commons to Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, who labelled the "remarkable" Gravity site "one of the best sites in the United Kingdom" and one which "should be considered for the very important future of car manufacturing and battery manufacturing".
Now sources have told the Telegraph that the Government’s new Office for Investment, which was established in November, has called on regional agencies to “urgently” submit potential locations for factory.
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According to the newspaper, the body is sounding out regional authorities over potential sites covering 250 hectares at short notice.
However, it could not be confirmed that Mr Musk’s visit at the weekend was directly linked to the search for a factory site.
A 海角视频 investment by Tesla would be a huge boost to Britain's car industry, which directly employs around 180,000 people. But Mr Musk has also previously said Brexit was the reason a next-generation Telsa plant was built in Germany rather than Britain.
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Last year, an article published in Property Week claimed the Department for International Trade (DIT) was searching for a four million sq ft site to accommodate an electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing plant for Tesla.
A spokesman for DIT told Property Week : "The government is working with industry to help make the 海角视频 the location of choice to develop world-class electric vehicle technologies.
"DIT is working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development, and manufacturing across the 海角视频."
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Tesla currently has three operational gigafactories in Nevada, New York and Shanghai.
Do you think Elon Musk should build a gigafactory in the 海角视频? Share your thoughts in the comments below