Musk Considers Saudi Arabia, Meets Erdogan About Potential Tesla Factory In Hunt For New Locations

Elon Musk in May said that Tesla would pick a new gigafactory location by the end of the year. Lately, the billionaire has spoken with a handful of world leaders as they present enticing offers to persuade the world’s wealthiest man to build a new factory in their respective countries. 

On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Musk met in New York City to discuss a potential Tesla factory in Turkey, which borders Southeast Europe and Western Asia. 
Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency confirmed the meeting at the Turkish House, a skyscraper near the United Nations, on Sunday afternoon. Images of the meeting were posted on X. 

Cumhurbaşkanımız @RTErdogan, Tesla ve SpaceX şirketlerinin kurucusu Elon Musk’ı New York’taki Türkevi’nde kabul etti. pic.twitter.com/uQWSrFsCXt

— T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı (@tcbestepe) September 17, 2023

“Recalling that with the Turkish electric car Togg hitting the roads in Türkiye, Tesla entered the Turkish market, Erdogan called on Tesla to establish its seventh factory in Türkiye,” Anadolu reported, citing the country’s communications directorate.

Erdogan also offered a partnership with Musk’s SpaceX and Turkey’s space program. Musk told the president that several Turkish suppliers are already working with Tesla and that Turkey “is among the most important candidates” for Tesla’s next factory. 

In a separate report, The Wall Street Journal said Musk has spoken with Saudi Arabia about a new gigafactory factory. Sources familiar with the discussions said the talks were in the “very early stage and could fall apart” given the kingdom’s interest in electric-vehicle rival Lucid Group.

Earlier this summer, Musk met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in NYC about expanding Tesla operations inside the world’s most populous country. 

Tesla has six gigafactories in Fremont, California; Sparks, Nevada; Berlin, Germany; Shanghai, China; Austin, Texas; and Buffalo, New York. It’s planning another and is a move to expand its international footprint.