Tesla Planning New Powertrain Facility, Corporate Headquarters in Palo Alto

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1,356 views Aug 18, 2009

New Tesla Facility in Palo Alto

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America's most noteworthy EV maker, Tesla Motors, announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility at the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto, California today. The company will renovate an existing 369,000-square-foot facility to produce electric powertrain components for their own brand and their partners, like Daimler. The new site will also become Tesla's corporate headquarters with room for up to 650 employees.

Tesla will lease the three-building site, which was formerly occupied by Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. The 23-acre parcel is in close proximity to Stanford's main campus, affording Tesla access to one of the nation's most competitive engineering schools.

Funding for the project comes in part from the $465 million in U.S. Department of Energy loans recently issued to the company for advanced vehicle technologies. Building renovations will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, and construction is expected to begin in fall.

“Silicon Valley and the Stanford Research Park are synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. "It’s an ideal place for a new car company trying to rethink many aspects of the traditional automotive business."

Source: Tesla Motors

Full Press Release:

Tesla to open power train facility in Palo Alto, California

Leading electric vehicle maker will also move corporate headquarters to Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto

PALO ALTO, Calif. – The City of Palo Alto and Tesla Motors announced today that Tesla will develop and manufacture electric vehicle components in a renovated building in the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto.

Tesla, the only automaker that is already producing and selling highway-capable electric vehicles, will lease a 369,000-square-foot facility on a 23-acre parcel at 3500 Deer Creek Road. The facility will supply all-electric powertrain solutions to Tesla Motors vehicles and other automakers, greatly accelerating the availability of mass-market EVs.

The world’s premier EV manufacturer will also move its corporate headquarters from San Carlos to this site. Roughly 350 employees will work in Palo Alto initially, with space for up to 650 people.

Tesla’s lease of this three-building complex is a creative, adaptive reuse and modernization of a manufacturing facility formerly occupied by Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies. The historic area is minutes away from Stanford’s main campus and from the garage in Palo Alto where Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard built their original audio oscillator.

“Silicon Valley and the Stanford Research Park are synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. “It’s an ideal place for a new car company trying to rethink many aspects of the traditional automotive business.”

“Our city is a leader in promoting sustainability and has a strong commitment to green technology. Therefore we’re extremely pleased to welcome Tesla to Palo Alto,” said James Keene, Palo Alto City Manager. “Stanford, its Research Park, and Palo Alto have always been at the forefront of new technological discoveries and inventions, as well as fostering practices and ideas that increase environmental sustainability. Tesla’s move is another indicator that Palo Alto is the place to be for the green tech and alternative energy companies that will help solve the daunting global environmental challenges of the 21st century.”