Musk invited to set up Tesla factory in Pakistan

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Musk invited to set up Tesla factory in Pakistan

Published: Mon 6 Jan 2020, 6:03 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Jan 2020, 8:04 PM

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has invited Tesla owner and chief executive Elon Musk to set up his next car factory in Pakistan.
In his tweet tagging the US billionaire, the Pakistani minister reacted to a media report about the US automaker's plan to build half a million electric vehicles annually at its future factory outside Berlin.
Musk said on Twitter recently that the Berlin Gigafactory will be building vehicles, starting with the forthcoming Tesla Model Y compact SUV, but it will also build batteries and powertrains. The new facility, to be built at 740 acres of land near new Berlin airport by 2021, will generate 10,000 job opportunities in Germany.
"Dear Elon Musk your next destination may be Pakistan where 68 per cent of world population lives within 3.5 hours flight radius from Islamabad," Chaudhry tweeted on Sunday.
The minister looked the tweet as an opportunity to invite Musk to Pakistan as the next potential land for Tesla's high-end electric vehicles to run.
"We offer 10-year zero tax and custom free import for factory setup, no other country may of-fer, plus we are the world's third biggest freelance software exporters," the minister said.
Pakistan's auto market, dominated by Honda, Toyota and Suzuki, has a potential to attract more international brands as domestic sales are expected to hit 0.3 million by 2021 and half a million units by 2022.
"We will facilitate Tesla whatever way they may like. We will offer them free land in addition to tax breaks and looking forward to hear a positive response from Tesla," Chaudhry told Khaleej Times on Monday.
Tesla will begin first deliveries of 'Made in China' Model 3 Sedans from today, one year after when the construction began on its first factory outside the United States. The US automaker said its second-generation Model 3 'Made in China' Sedan will be at least 50 per cent cheaper than its Model 3-related lines in the United States. The production line at the factory in China will have a capacity of 150,000 units annually, it said.
Tesla said it delivered approximately 367,500 vehicles last year, reflecting a jump of 50 per cent from 2018. It delivered a record 112,000 vehicles during the fourth quarter, boosting its shares around 49 per cent over the last 12 months.
- muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com

By Muzaffar Rizvi

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