Tesla drives towards 2020 target of 500,000 cars with European factory
TESLA, the electric car manufacturer, has opened a factory in the Netherlands to help boost European sales.
The company announced on Twitter over the weekend it was opening the factory in Tilburg to assemble the Model S sedan and carry out final quality checks. The factory also boasts the first indoor production track in Europe.
Tesla’s new Model X SUV will also be put together on the site, although European deliveries are not expected to begin until next year.
In 2013 the company announced it would be opening its first European assembly plant in Tilburg as a final assembly and distribution platform for European sales, to speed up production and reduce delivery time.
The new factory should boost production from around 200 to 450 cars a week.
Local press reported that the minister of economic affairs, Henk Kamp, opened the factory with CEO Elon Musk, and the pair discussed possible tax changes in the Netherlands on electric and hybrid cars. Tesla’s European rivals, Audi, Porsche and BMW have all announced they are focused on delivering a better rage of electric vehicles.