By Ryan Randazzo and Ronald J. Hansen, The Republic | azcentral.com
Gov. Jan Brewer said Arizona submitted a highly competitive package to Tesla Motors Inc. in hopes the company opens its proposed battery factory here, and that she believes at least one of the states Tesla was considering is out of the running.
Palo Alto, Calif.,-based Tesla said in February that Arizona was among four states in contention for a $4 billion or more factory that could employ 6,500. Also competing are Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.
The factory could supply as many as 500,000 batteries a year by 2020, shipping them to California to be assembled into Tesla’s electric vehicles.
“With this project, we are right in the ballgame,” Brewer said Tuesday following a meeting of Arizona Commerce Authority executives. The agency coordinates the state’s efforts to land business prospects like the factory.
