- Elon Musk, the boss of Tesla, met President Emmanuel Macron in Versailles during the Choose France summit
- He mentioned the possibility of making significant investments in France in the future, without giving a timetable
- Emmanuel Macron hailed the vision and ambition of Elon Musk and invited him to choose France for his green industrial projects
Did American billionaire Elon Musk fall in love with France? The boss of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter spent Monday in Versailles, as part of the summit Choose Francewhich brought together more than 200 foreign leaders to promote the attractiveness of the country.
After a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, he hinted that he planned to make significant investments in France in the field of green technologies. “I think at some point, but not today, at some point, yes”he told reporters. “I am very impressed with President Macron and the French government and their welcome to the industry, so I am confident that in the future Tesla will make significant investments in France”he added.
Emmanuel Macron hailed the vision and ambition of Elon Musk and invited him to choose France for his green industrial projects. “You are an exceptional entrepreneur who carries out projects that are essential for our common future”he said during a round table. “France is ready to welcome you, to support you, to accompany you in these challenges”he added.
On his LinkedIn account, the President of the Republic welcomed France’s appeal to investors. “When a foreign investor chooses France, it’s good for jobs and for our territories”he wrote.
Tesla looking to increase production
Tesla, the world leader in electric cars, is looking to increase its production capacity to reach 20 million units per year by the end of the decade. For this, he will need to build several additional factories. The company has already opened a gigafactory in Germany, which produces 5,000 vehicles per week, but it may need another site in Europe.
Could France be a candidate? The country has recognized know-how in the automotive industry, as well as an incentive tax framework for investments in green technologies. The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire also met Elon Musk to present to him in particular the advantages of the research tax credit and the innovation fund.
However, the competition will be fierce, because other European countries such as Poland or the United Kingdom are also in line. France will therefore have to show reactivity and creativity to seduce the visionary Elon Musk and his company Tesla.
