Photo: Joe Tegtmeyer
Leaders worldwide are asking Tesla and CEO Elon Musk to build a Gigafactory in their home countries, and South Korea says that Musk already has the country in mind for its next car plant in Asia.
Musk said during a video call that South Korea is among the top candidates for its next Gigafactory in Asia, according to statements from the country’s presidential office made on Wednesday (via Reuters).
The call occurred between Musk and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, whose office also said that Tesla is increasing cooperative efforts with the country’s supply chain.
Tesla Changes Model 3 LR in South Korea to Inventory Availability Only https://t.co/OFptjsj6KQ
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) November 18, 2022
“We expect to buy components worth more than $10 billion from South Korean firms in 2023 as we significantly expand supply chain cooperation with South Korean companies,” Musk said, according to Yoon’s office.
The news comes just ahead of a planned trial with Tesla in South Korea, where the company’s cars are being scrutinized over safety concerns by the country’s regulators.
It also comes following years of lobbying from officials in India and Indonesia to convince Tesla to set up manufacturing operations in the countries.
Tesla already works in close cooperation with South Korean suppliers such as Samsung and LG Innotek, and a move to set up a new Gigafactory in the country could further draw on these relationships.
