As the global race to dominate the electric vehicle (EV) industry intensifies, France is rolling out the red carpet for Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Jean-Noel Barrot, the country’s digital minister, has explicitly stated his desire to secure France as the home for Tesla’s next Gigafactory. This push for investment occurs concurrently with France’s threat of a ban on Twitter, also owned by Musk, for potential non-compliance with forthcoming European Union (EU) regulation.
The announcements came to light during a discussion with CNBC’s Charlotte Reed at the Viva Tech conference held in Paris on Wednesday. France has been strategically positioning itself as a frontrunner in the EV industry and took a significant stride earlier this year by opening its first electric car battery factory.
“France has invested extensively in the burgeoning electric battery sector,” Barrot told Reed. “Our goal is to persuade Musk that France offers the best possible place in Europe to establish Tesla’s next factory.”
Musk is slated to speak at the Viva Tech summit, one of France’s premier technology conferences, on Friday. The government is expected to make a strong presence at the event. The timing of this appearance coincides with Musk’s search for a new location for a Gigafactory, adding to Tesla’s existing manufacturing plants in the U.S., Germany, and China.
Barrot praised Musk as a “great inventor, likely one of the greatest of the early 21st century.”
Despite the attempt to lure Tesla, France also is threatening to ban Twitter, which is also owned by Musk.
Last month, the minister warned that Twitter could face a ban across the EU if it fails to adhere to the incoming Digital Services Act, set to be implemented in August. This legislation compels major tech companies, Twitter included, to more assertively moderate illicit content and misinformation on their platforms. Non-compliance could lead to potentially hefty fines in the billions of dollars.
Back in May, Musk visited France and met with French President Emmanuel Macron. Musk said at the time, “I am confident that in the future Tesla will be making significant investments in France,” without elaborating.
