Report: Tesla Is Eying The Central U.S. To Build Its Cybertruck Plant

Tesla is building another factory to produce the Cybertruck and the Model Y

Tesla is gearing up production for its upcoming models, and that includes scouting new locations to build its Cybertruck in the United States, according to new reports. CEO Elon Musk announced that the company will bring another factory online to produce the company’s first pickup and the Model Y crossover for east coast customers. While he didn’t elaborate which specific states were on the board, he did tweet that the central U.S. states are prime candidates.

This isn’t the first time Musk has publicly mused possible locations for a new plant. Back in 2014, he used a similar strategy to land a $1.3 billion incentive deal to build the Nevada gigafactory near Reno. In that contest, as the Los Angeles Times points out, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas didn’t make the final cut. This time around, states like Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado are all vying to be the next site for Tesla’s ambitious expansion.

Tesla originally unveiled the Cybertruck at last year’s L.A. Auto Show, firing a shot at legacy truck makers. Specifically, Musk targeted the Ford F-150, but the company’s first EV pickup aims to disrupt Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors as well. As we near the Cybertruck’s actual launch date, state incentives will definitely play a role in exactly where its manufacturing will take place. TechCrunch reports Tesla is currently in talks with Nashville officials to build a plant in Tennessee, a state where both Nissan and Volkswagen have a manufacturing presence.

For its part, Tesla currently has three main plants in the United States. The primary assembly plant is in Fremont, California, where the company builds the Model S, Model X and Model Y. It also has the 1.9 million square-feet Nevada “Gigafactory”, and another facility in Buffalo, New York that produces solar cells. In addition to its new Shanghai Gigafactory, Tesla is now constructing a European plant in Germany, and this new American plant would play a key role in Tesla’s expansion in the coming years.