Only A Company Living Off of Government Pork Would Make This Decision
Aptera apparently wants to build electric cars using our tax dollars. They are looking for a manufacturing plant location. They seem to be homing on an one of the last locations on the planet I would build a new manufacturing facility:
At least we learn that the company is might soon be closing in on a new production facility as a result of a new application to the DOE's AVTMP [advance vehicle technology manufacturing program]. The loan application asks for a 10-year facility plan, which meant Aptera needed to actually come up with such a plan. Aptera's production schedule "calls for more than 10,000 units in the first 3 years and more than 300 employees," so it is looking for a new place to build the cars somewhere in Southern California, specifically somewhere in San Diego County.
High land prices? Hugely expensive land use and environmental regulations? High taxes? Really high local wages? Perfect, lets build an auto assembly plant!
DrTorch:
Brilliant!
Meanwhile, Detroit, with it's experienced workers and large auto manufacturing infrastructure (such as rail for shipping) continues to deteriorate.
I can see avoiding Detroit taxes and the UAW...but not for San Diego.
January 4, 2010, 12:33 pmScott:
Yeah... no one is getting paid on the side with this deal.
All on the up and up with our gov't!
January 4, 2010, 1:43 pmSean:
They may be smarter than you think. Offer to build in So. Cal. and get the folks in Congress from CA behind you. After all, they have a ton of people in the House. Start the process rolling to locate in CA and all of a sudden thousands of eco-zeolots come crawling out of the woodwork. You realize you can't get all the permits in place in 10 years, let alone start production, so reluctantly you look to locate in Tennesee, Kentucky, Alabama or South Carolina. Take your government loan money, courtesy the lobbying of the CA congressional and get the states in the southeast to bid up the incentives to locate in their state.
January 4, 2010, 2:12 pmperlhaqr:
I think Las Cruces would be a pretty good bet for a car manufacturing plant. Two major interstate freeways, relatively close to the TX gulf coast or San Diego ports, and a train line. Plus, hey, NM has pretty low taxes. Certainly more so than CA.
January 4, 2010, 3:11 pmDr. T:
Aptera is a scam. The founders will use political connections and quid pro quos to get tax abatements from local and state governments, to get massive funding from the federal government for construction and initial operating costs, and to spend ten years pretending to design an electric car. The founders, after getting millions in taxpayer-provided salaries, will back away from Aptera before the shit hits the electric car fan.
January 4, 2010, 5:43 pmSaloner:
For all you know location in Cal. might be a pre-condition for the Govt. funds. Someone here familiar with the fine print?
January 4, 2010, 6:46 pmCilla Mitchell, Galveston, Texas:
Aptera, Acorn, all the same to me.
January 5, 2010, 6:25 amthe other coyote:
to add to Dr. T's comment - I'm sure the execs/founders want to live in San Diego. Who doesn't? If you've got to "work," may as well live in a nice spot, no?
These guys will hang out in paradise on the taxpayer's dime for 10 years - until the $ runs out - then move on to the next scam.
January 5, 2010, 1:15 pmmodel_1066:
shit, why not build the plant in Hawaii?
January 9, 2010, 12:26 pmTC:
GM had an assembly plant in CA many years ago. They closed the daaum thing cuz CA was going crazy and it was just to expensive to continue operations in that state!
January 11, 2010, 2:25 pm