Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla, revealed during an interview that he hopes to find a cooperating partner in mainland China in the middle of 2016 to establish an electric car factory for the local market.
Musk said that at present, Tesla's various businesses are progressing smoothly in mainland China. So far, the company has launched 15 physical stores in seven major cities in the Chinese mainland. He also said that the company currently has 340 super charging stations and over 1,600 piles in the Chinese market.
However, Musk pointed out that like all other foreign car manufacturers, Tesla must have their own factory in China. China imposes high taxes on imported vehicles and the fees will be ultimately paid by local consumers. One of the methods to avoid the high import consumption tax is to build a factory in China. With this move, Tesla will be able to lower their car prices while creating jobs for the local market.
Musk did not disclose the location of their first electric car factory in China. He said he hopes to find a Chinese manufacturer as cooperating partner in the middle of 2016 before deciding the location of the factory.