Joplin, MO to Tesla: Your Truck, Right Here
A Missouri city is making a direct pitch to Tesla in the hopes of landing an assembly plant. The electric automaker is on the hunt for a new domestic manufacturing site in which to build its ridiculous-looking Cybertruck, and since Texas seems to be off the table, other states feel they’ve got a good shot.
Naturally, the city of Joplin isn’t coming to the table empty handed.
As reported by the Joplin Globe, the city’s council has cobbled together a $1 billion incentive package to lure Tesla into its grasp. Backing the formal bid is both the city and the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, which has identified a parcel of land measuring a mile by two miles on which to situate the plant.
The site was chosen due to its proximity to freight lines, two interstates, a power plant, and a regional airport. It would be sold to Tesla at a 50-percent discount, with a 100-percent, 12-year tax break serving as a sweetener. Various state and local incentives make up the rest of the package.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted on March 11th that he was scouring the country, looking for suitable factory sites. Specifically, Musk said he wants a locale in the central U.S., which seems to describe Missouri fairly well.
With visions of 7,000 (eventual) jobs coming to town, the chamber of commerce was quick to point out the city’s skilled and engineer-heavy workforce, as well as the region’s plethora of trucking companies.
“That gives Tesla front-row access to its next market with four of the largest trucking companies in the nation within a 60-mile radius,” said Toby Teeter, president of the chamber.
The city of Joplin was devastated by an EF-5 tornado in 2011, resulting in 158 lost lives. While rebuilding efforts quickly got underway, town planners continued keeping an eye out for opportunities to bolster the area’s economy.
[Image: Tesla]
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If the price point is $48K or less: 1) Acura ZDX. Let's take the Crosstour, and make it even uglier. 2) Nissan Cross Cabriolet. An answer to a question NO ONE asked. 3) Gen I Subaru Tribeca. That grille, that let's channel the ghost of Edsel Ford grille.
@redapple--Agree that trucks have gotten too tall and the side of the beds is hard to reach in. When you need a ladder to reach into the bed of a truck then it is too tall. What I do like about this truck is the ramp which is something that I would like to see other truck makers adopt especially for loading and unloading furniture and outdoor equipment.