Elon Musk Met with Senior Italian Officials

Elon Musk met with senior Italian officials. Among them is the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.

Elon Musk visits Italy

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on a business visit to Italy. The purpose of the visit has not been officially announced, and representatives of officials have not yet made public statements. The number of Tesla car owners continues to grow in the country, which became especially noticeable after the opening of the first factory in Europe. In addition, the company cooperates with the local manufacturer of casting machines, IDRA Group, whose equipment is key to the production of the most popular Tesla cars.

Musk meets with the country’s top officials

As part of his visit Thursday, Musk met with Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tagiani at the Chigi Palace, according to ANSA. The meeting between CEO Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter, and the Italian Chancellor reportedly lasted just over an hour. Details of the conversation have not yet been disclosed. Sources at Palacio Chigi told ANSA that Musk will also speak with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni today.

Italians call for the construction of a gigafactory

Musk has received several requests from the Italian Tesla Automobile Owners Association to visit the country. They want the former Ilva steel plant to be converted into a gigafactory by the American company. Italian Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini also invited Musk to invest in the country.

Tesla is currently looking for the best location for the next gigafactory. According to speculation and rumors, the company is considering France and Spain. On Friday, Musk will visit France and meet with President Emmanuel Macron. The president said he would advertise his country as the location for the Tesla factory.

Tesla may need a battery factory

The company already has a car factory in Europe. Building a second one right now might be unnecessary. However, it may make sense for Tesla to build a battery factory. At the moment, the company is facing difficulties in Germany and the constant struggle is slowing down development. If the company finds a favorable location in Europe where it can produce batteries and supply them for car production at Giga Berlin, it could ease Tesla’s operations in the region.