On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk for the second time in a month to promote France as a possible site for an EV maker’s facility and discuss tech policy.
France is competing with Spain, which is in talks with Tesla, to build BYD (002594. SZ) and Tesla plants.
“I’m going (into that meeting) with an agenda,” Macron told reporters at the VivaTech event in Paris, France’s largest innovation show, where Musk will visit on Friday.
“We’ll talk about artificial intelligence, which he’s interested in, social media, regulating framework… I’ll also talk to him about cars and batteries to promote French and European attractiveness,” Macron said.
Macron said, “It’s up to the company to look at these different issues in Europe,” when asked if he wanted a Tesla gigafactory. We’ll advocate France for investment.
Since Macron took office, subsidies, a business-friendly environment, and strong lobbying have helped France catch up in the electric vehicle market.
Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies opened the first of four gigafactories in its northern region last month.
“It will be great to have a Tesla factory in France,” French digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot told CNBC today. Hard labor makes this possible.”
Barrot said France invested in an “entire sector of electric batteries” and would convince Musk “that France is the best place in Europe to establish the next Tesla factory.”
Musk told Macron and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on May 15 that Tesla would make “significant investments” in France, but he did not specify a timetable.
Musk’s only European gigafactory is in Germany, despite France’s efforts.