Ahead of Tesla’s plans to construct a Gigafactory in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, a new report from a government official says that two of the automaker’s Chinese suppliers are set to spend almost a billion dollars in the region.
Nuevo León Governor Samuel García Sepúlveda is visiting Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai, China this week. During the trip, he said that Ningbo Tuopi Group and Hesai Technology will be spending a total of $960 million in Mexico, according to Reuters. A representative for Nuevo León said the investments would include $700 million from Ningbo Tuopu and $260 million from Hesai Tech.
“We’re very happy because everything seems to indicate that the Nuevo Leon site will be twice as big, at least, as the one in Austin,” García said during the visit.
Ningbo builds shock-absorbing products along with other automotive hardware, and Hesai produces lidar light sensors often used for robots and autonomous vehicles, according to Reuters.
García added that Ningbo is hoping to begin production by the end of this year in the state. Additionally, he says Tesla already has sourcing plans in the state for its batteries, software, computers and other necessary components, although construction has not yet begun on the factory.
Ya sea en China o en Nuevo León, no dejamos de trabajar incansablemente para que nuestro estado siga creciendo.
Llegamos a la Gigafactory de Shanghái, una planta que se construyó en tiempo récord y que hoy produce 1 millón de unidades de Tesla. pic.twitter.com/SMGTxaHUh5
— Samuel García (@samuel_garcias) October 18, 2023
According to the officials, Ningbo’s operations in Mexico are expected to create around 10,000 jobs, while it’s estimated that Hesai’s operations will create 4,000 jobs.
The companies did not respond to requests for comment.
The news comes less than a month after Tesla was awarded the necessary Environmental Impact Permits needed to begin construction on the Gigafactory. Construction machinery was recently spotted on nearby roads in August, suggesting the company would begin work on the site soon.
Earlier this month, Tesla also asked Mexico to solidify plans for infrastructure leading to the site, including basics like energy, water, road and railways. Upon completion, Tesla is expected to use Giga Mexico to build its highly anticipated sub-$30,000 car, with production beginning as soon as the first quarter of 2025.
In March, Santa Catarina Mayor Jesus Nava reported that Giga Mexico would be more than double the size of Giga Texas and twice as big as the Mexico International Airport.
Tesla and its suppliers to invest $15B in Giga Mexico: Governor
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