ELON Musk has been urged to consider the “strong” case for a Tesla gigafactory in Scotland by Alba.
Ash Regan MSP, the party’s Holyrood leader, has written directly to the Tesla chief executive arguing that a Scottish factory would be “perfectly placed” to serve markets across the rest of the UK as well as Ireland.
Tesla currently operates a gigafactory – a large-scale manufacturing facility designed to produce electric vehicle components, batteries, and energy storage products – in Germany. It employs some 12,000 people and was built after an initial investment of around five billion euros, according to Reuters.
In 2023, Musk said Tesla would “strongly consider” a gigafactory in the UK – but the suggestion was that it would be based in England. Reports said the UK lost out on the initial investment which went to Germany in part due to the impact of Brexit.
Regan said: “There will be nothing ‘just’ about a transition that sees Scottish industry left behind and the high-quality jobs of today gone tomorrow. Already we are seeing the real possibility of the value-added skills at Grangemouth going, with the quality jobs carried out abroad with only service jobs left behind.
“The transition towards more electric vehicles is happening, and Government targets run the risk of the only way people can get an electric vehicle is if all the skilled work is carried out overseas with the end product shipped to Scotland.
“The case for a gigafactory in Scotland is strong. We have great access by land, air and sea to the world and are perfectly placed to not only serve the Scottish market but also the rest of the UK and Ireland.
“If Elon Musk took up my offer to explore expansion into Scotland, it would be a game changer for our manufacturing base, bring billions to our economy and create thousands of highly skilled and well-paid jobs.”
Musk has become an increasingly divisive figure in UK and world politics in recent months due to his support for Donald Trump and Reform UK, as well as Germany's neo-Nazi Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Tesla was approached for comment.
