Le Maire says he’s hopeful Tesla will build factory in France

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he’s hopeful Tesla Inc. will build a factory in France after President Emmanuel Macron wooed the electric-vehicle maker’s billionaire chief executive, Elon Musk. 

Musk has been scouting for the location of Tesla’s next factory, and he visited France in May and June. It’s not clear whether he would build a vehicle plant or one to make batteries, Le Maire said.

“There are several options on the table, but I’m hopeful Musk will make an investment in France,” Le Maire said in an interview on LCI television. “He was able to exchange on several occasions with the president of the Republic. I also talked to him. He knows he is welcome in France.”

One obstacle in France is that there aren’t enough available industrial sites that have rail or sea connections as well as a “de-carbonized” supply of electricity sufficient to power a factory, Le Maire said. 

“They’re going to become very rare, very expensive and very difficult to find,” he said. The problem is a result of the success of some regions in landing new industrial operations, he said.

That aside, he said, “We have met all the conditions to be the most attractive country, and we have radically transformed the economic image of France in the world for nearly seven years.”