Plaid Cymru Senedd Member writes to Elon Musk asking him to open new Tesla factory in Wales
A Plaid Cymru Senedd Member has written to Elon Musk asking him to open his new Tesla factory in Wales.
The party’s Economy Spokesperson, Luke Fletcher wrote to the billionaire to promote the old Ford factory as a potential site for Tesla’s new factory.
In the letter, Luke Fletcher advocated for the work ethic and skill of the local workforce and testified to the “legacy of four decades of being home to a car manufacturing sector in Wales”, and noted that Tesla “would be hard placed to find a better site in the whole of the UK”.
He added that it was an opportunity to “put Wales on the map as the place to build the cars of the future”, as well as to bring high skilled jobs to an area “devastated by the closure of Ford”.
The Bridgend engine plant, which employed 1000 people, closed its doors last September after 40 years of business.
Kevin Mofid, head of industrial research at Savills, told the Telegraph newspaper this week that Wales would be top of his list for a new plant, with the devolved Welsh government potentially offering support for any new investment.
However, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen has also made a direct pitch to Elon Musk on behalf of his own region, saying he would welcome Tesla “in a flash”.
The letter
Dear Mr Musk,
I write to you today regarding the location of the new Tesla factory in the United Kingdom and the potential that it could be located at the old Ford factory in Bridgend, Wales.
When Ford shut down its operation in Bridgend, 1,700 jobs were lost, our community was devastated, and the impact was felt across the supply chain throughout the south of Wales.
However, consider this. The former Ford factory in Bridgend remains a prime site and would be an ideal location for the new Tesla factory in the UK.
Born and raised in in Bridgend county, I can testify to the committed work ethic of the community, the skill of our workforce and the legacy of four decades of being home to a major car manufacturing sector in Wales. To this end I urge you to set up your new factory at the old Ford site.
Truly, you would be hard pressed to find a better site in the whole of the UK
I look forward to hearing from you,
Yours sincerely, Luke Fletcher – Member of the Senedd for South Wales West
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Well done Luke….. The personal touch.
Some good thinking here, however we have been far too reliant on foreign companies in the past, anyone remember the LG fiasco in Newport. It would be better in the long term to develop out own companies. One such company is riversimple in Llandrindod Wells who are developing hydrogen fuel cell cars. This technology has infinite possibilities, Another great company is Electric Classic Cars in Newtown who at the moment have to use Tesla powertrains rather than something homegrown.
Please don’t mention Llanbedr Spaceport…
Is that real? If so would be a perfect opportunity to launch the UFO that British Rail were developing and successfully patented in the 70s. No doubt to be resurrected by Great British Railways.
Real as anything in this world today…the history of RAE Llanbedr and its Jindivik UAVs target drones is worth a look if you are not already familiar with the story as told by Wendy Mills in ‘Target Rolling’…available on Abe.
Thanks sounds interesting, always good to learn something new. I was completely unaware of this.
Look, learn and enjoy…stay safe the bastards haven’t finished with us yet nos da
You must be out of your mind… First of hydrogen fuel cell cars are WORSE, in every way than electric cars. The processes needed to fuel a car is not far off a diesel/petrol car. Secondly, Tesla are not LG in any way shape or form. They will not be up and gone after X amount of time, after taking a government grant. And thirdly… And most importantly, Tesla are by a mile the most advanced electric car company in the world. Not to mention the most advanced battery maker as well as making advancements in solar technology. Having a… Read more »
Great if Tesla set up in Wales of their own accord but we absolutely should not pay them just to bless the area with a few jobs.
May as well just expedite the UBI rollout so we can attempt to take charge of our own future.
It’s time to put Wales on the map properly!
Last time that happened the bloody Romans found us…now we are under siege from Fat Shanks!
Oh my god, this is embarrassing. As Tesla is being investigated around the world for misselling, and for building dangerous cars, and as its profits are on the verge of vanishing into thin air (as other manufacturers have less need to buy their carbon credits), Plaid goes and does this. Plaid’s economic ignorance is breathtaking. Absolute idiot.
Dangerous cars? Evidence please.
There is no evidence, he’s fallen for the fud the media spews out about Tesla every day. Truth is Tesla’s are the safest cars on the road.
Do some research
Oh my god, this is embarrassing. That you’re totally falling for the fud that Tesla short sellers and people with vested interest in the OEM car industry have put out there. It is a fact that Tesla’s are the safest cars on the planet right now, don’t take my word for it go and take a look yourself. As for “profits vanishing into thin air” you must be listening to gordon Johnson, who must be breathing thin air. As Tesla are not suddenly going to collapse because their car regulatory credits may be coming to an end. Go and take… Read more »
Quite a passionate defence of the cult there, Lee! Let’s just sit back and watch this unfold, shall we?
I just hope you’re heavily invested in Tesla, so that I may laugh merrily when the s**t hits the fan.
Again you’re regurgitating the same dribble that the anti-tesla nuts are spewing. These are not facts. I do get quite defensive, of course. I’ve been following what Tesla have been doing for quite some time, I know exactly what they are doing and I know exactly what the OEM/short-seller/anti-tesla nuts are trying to do. Listen, we can all get tribal about what ever topic we like, but I implore you, if you don’t want to accept what I know to be fact, go and take a deeper look at Tesla yourself. I’m not kidding, their ability to science stuff is… Read more »
Regurgitating what? All I said was let’s sit back and see what happens. The more passionate you are, the more convinced I am. The more irrational you are, the more comfortable I am. “And counter to your argument, I’d like to try and understand exactly what you believe is going to happen to Tesla exactly?” I suggest you make yourself a coffee and go over that sentence again. You are VERY emotional on this subject. You are way too emotionally invested in Tesla for your ranting to be of any value, or to merit any response. As I said, let’s… Read more »
While I might agree with your view that Lee is a passionate Tesla advocate you must also accept that you are equally passionate about the opposite extreme. Whether you like it or not the “Green Gospel” is being adopted lock stock and barrel by governments and major corporates/institutions. That being the case the chargeable electric device will be a feature of the auto market for foreseeable decades because it has been so anointed by those who manipulate such decisions. Just one major risk is that represented by the manufacture and eventual disposal of the batteries. We keep hearing how battery… Read more »
On what do you base the assertion that I’m passionate? I couldn’t care less about Tesla, but I do find Lee and his ilk entertaining…until they become annoying. Rather than watching “fanboy” youtube channels, he should be reading about Tesla’s market share, and reading regulator reports.
Oh, and I do care about the Welsh economy, and a grovelling letter to a foreign conman, rather than a focus on indigenous businesses does indeed get my juices flowing.
Lee is a ranting buffoon.
I guess you must be scared to have an engaging conversation.
I gave you an answer to everything you said(and more), and you still feel confident that Tesla are going to fail.
Instead of coming up with any defence for your argument you just try to insult or wish ill on them.
I’ll take my leave now as you can’t be helped.
I’m sorry, Lee, but you have not presented a single cogent argument. You really need to get off YouTube, and do some of your own, objective due diligence. I’m not going to engage with your points mainly because I can’t be arsed, but also because I’ve seen it so many times before. There’s nothing that can be said to a cult member, to convince them they’re in a cult. They must hit rock bottom and see it for themselves.
So, once again, I say let’s just sit back and see what happens.
Good luck!
The replies to this story are illuminating. “The Madness of Crowds” ‘n’ all that.
Wales has an insanely low amount of chargers and doesn’t seem to like electric cars at all. Sort that issue out first.
If Tesla want to come to Wales fine, but they should have to make electric tractors…you will have heard of Chelsea Tractors no doubt but I’m thinking Rhosneigr Tractors, beach launching is the method here, mind you it is wall to wall Chelsea Tractors too…what a really lovely bay…If you too are planning a trip out be warned there is a summer one way system in operation and it is a bit hit and miss, not enough signs to be foolproof.