Is Oklahoma courting TESLA's Battery Factory project?

[Mel]

They need a mascot like the energizer bunny. Makes your product cuter.

[Urbanized]

New Mexico has been home to a robust high tech sector for decades. Oklahoma has not.

[Anonymous.]

Newest reports say Navada, now.

[gopokes88]

Newest reports say Navada, now.

Where's that?

[Anonymous.]

Not sure if you're asking where Nevada is, or the link. So here is both:



Tesla's Gigafactory Intrigue Builds As Speculators Bet On A Nevada Location - Forbes


Of course, maybe you're pointing out my spelling mistake...

[josh]

Reno has only been confirmed as finalist and had a foundation built. Tesla will do that in one.or.two other states of which they will pick a final site.

San Antonio is giving 800 million in incentives. The most out of any talked about city.

[OKVision4U]

If we were serious about really attracting the "big fish", then we know exactly what the landscape is.... 800 M.

Texas is an Oil producing state and TESLA does not care. They are looking at the same basics ( Central Location, Flat, and close to rail )....and Wind. We have all of that.

OKC could tell them that we want to offer $ 1 Billion. ....and then see what else needs to be a part of it. This project alone, will create more thant enough economic boost to the local economy to carry this effort.

[Urbanized]

$1 billion would be roughly the same amount as MAPS 1 and MAPS 3 combined.

[catch22]

I would rather another billion in civic improvements than a check to a company.

[gopokes88]

I would rather another billion in civic improvements than a check to a company.

Yeah let's just give away a years worth of the city's budget. Nbd. While were at it we need to call Jerry jones and tell him we'll give him 3 billion to move the cowboys because were okc and we should spend valuable time, effort, political capital, and resources and something that simply isn't going to happen.

[josh]

If we were serious about really attracting the "big fish", then we know exactly what the landscape is.... 800 M.

Texas is an Oil producing state and TESLA does not care. They are looking at the same basics ( Central Location, Flat, and close to rail )....and Wind. We have all of that.

OKC could tell them that we want to offer $ 1 Billion. ....and then see what else needs to be a part of it. This project alone, will create more thant enough economic boost to the local economy to carry this effort.

The $800 million is from the city alone, not the state. The state might pony up $100 million but nothing is known yet.

[Plutonic Panda]

I would rather another billion in civic improvements than a check to a company.

I wouldn't tbh... This is worth it to me

[catch22]

I wouldn't tbh... This is worth it to me

I'm not sure you understand the value of the dollar yet.

It would be a complete waste of money.

[Anonymous.]

I sure wish we had a large sum of money laying around for this. Whoever lands this, will be the cornerstone for the future of cars in America. This will change some city forever.

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm not sure you understand the value of the dollar yet.

It would be a complete waste of money.

how? Do you realize how big this is? Like the poster below you said, what ever city lands this will be transformed. Just think, if OKC landed this, we would likely have one of the biggest tech sectors in us in 30 years.

From what I have heard though, this will likely go to CA.

[gopokes88]

how? Do you realize how big this is? Like the poster below you said, what ever city lands this will be transformed. Just think, if OKC landed this, we would likely have one of the biggest tech sectors in us in 30 years.

From what I have heard though, this will likely go to CA.

Agreed.

I'm just frustrated by the silliness of this thread. OKC has 0% chance of landing it at this point, but we should give them hell and try anyway even though the race is over. That simply isn't how business works. It's like a high school basketball player continually telling the coach he wants to try out, after try outs are over, and he's been cut. He just comes off looking like a fool and kinda spoiled. The project was announced and they said they had 4 finalists. We had already missed the cut and Vision keeps harping we should be throwing billions of dollars at them when the race has ended. It's foolish and childish.

I would guarantee Musk before he even announced the project he wanted it in California but was facing regulatory resistance and general California business climate. So he put out feelers all over the western half of the US. That is when OKC/OK probably competed and was told no. Just like Washington/Portland probably was.


In reality this entire thing was Musk's way of getting leverage on California to rewrite their laws and play by his rules. One reason he included Texas was to play off the whole Texas gets jobs over California thing. It made no sense logistically to mine in Nevada ship to Texas then ship all the way back to California. He did it to draw Perry out and put pressure on California. Low and behold it worked. However if California wouldn't play ball Nevada was and still is the backup plan. Its next door and has all the lithium-ion you'll need. He scrapped the pad to really get California into high gear. It's a stroke of genius.

[adaniel]

If it was going to cost $800 million to "play", then I'm glad OK sat this one out. I am not okay at all with what amounts to over 70% of OKC's municipal budget for corporate welfare.

If Musk wants to play cities off of each other like desperate fools to get more taxpayer money then good for him. I'd like to think we are not that needy here in OKC, however.

I have high hopes for electric car technology, but this is all very new and Tesla is still a startup in the business sense. It's still not even profitable. Lots of other fish out there to catch.

[Plutonic Panda]

If it was going to cost $800 million to "play", then I'm glad OK sat this one out. I am not okay at all with what amounts to over 70% of OKC's municipal budget for corporate welfare.

If Musk wants to play cities off of each other like desperate fools to get more taxpayer money then good for him. I'd like to think we are not that needy here in OKC, however.

I have high hopes for electric car technology, but this is all very new and Tesla is still a startup in the business sense. It's still not even profitable. Lots of other fish out there to catch.

Tesla has already posted profits a few times.

[Laramie]

There will be more TESLA's out there...

Texas will soon be bursting at the seams.

Our state's Quality Jobs Program along with the current business environment will allow Oklahoma to get its share of new and expanded businesses. Look for Oklahoma City to become a major spill way for economic development. We have the water, electricity & gas to sustain companies for the long term; that is where Texas will become deficient.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[blangtang]

Recent update:

Elon musk said: 5 years ago they made 600 cars per year, now they make 600 cars every 3 days.

Tesla's ambition is 500,000 cars per year by 2020

[TU 'cane]

It would be great if we could try and get ahead of the curve here and start courting Tesla.
I would love a Tesla plant in Oklahoma.

[mugofbeer]

Unfortunately Nevada got the Gigafactory, but i see Tesla as much as a home battary company as i do a car company. The idea of storing electricity bot during cheap nitetime hours coupled with solar panels could possibly take you off the grid.