Long Beach, you must immediately go back to your house, pack your bags, and go home. You are no longer in the running to become America's next top Tesla manufacturer. The District Weekly reports that Tesla has chosen the NASA facility in Downey to use as its Model S manufacturing plant, and Mayor Mario Guerra told the paper today that he will probably make an official announcement next week. He says they'll make the old building "into the greenest manufacturing plant in North America." Long Beach has a state enterprise zone that could have possibly saved Tesla a bundle in taxes, but like so many reality show winners, Downey just wanted it more. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says only one Long Beach councilmember ever contacted him, but the paper says Downey's entire city council "took a field trip to the Tesla plant in Hawthorne." Guerra says the city has been focused on job creation, and that the latest stats put unemployment there at 10.2%, which he calls "not good, but much better than the average around here." The Model S is a four-door electric sedan and is scheduled to roll off the line in Downey in third quarter 2011.
· TESLA CHOOSES DOWNEY OVER LONG BEACH TO MAKE ELECTRIC CARS [District Weekly]
· Electric Love Affair: Downey, Long Beach Pursue Tesla [Curbed LA]
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