ELON Musk is rumoured to have visited the UK to check out a possible Tesla gigafactory site in Somerset.
According to the Daily Mirror, the tech billionaire reportedly landed in Luton in his private jet on 3 June and spent 19 hours in total on the ground.
According to Property Week, the desired site is the 650-acre Gravity industrial park in Bridgwater.
The news comes six months after Mr Musk announced choosing Berlin, telling AutoExpress that Brexit concerns played part in the decision.
A Department for International Trade spokesperson told Property Week: “The government is working with industry to help make the UK the location of choice to develop world-class electric vehicle technologies.
“Department for International Trade is working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing across the UK.”
The Conservative government has long been vocal in its support of an electric vehicle gigafactory, floating the idea in its 2019 manifesto.
The Faraday Institution estimates that the UK will need one gigafactory by 2022, two by 2025 and eight by 2040 to meet demand for electric vehicles and batteries.
The name ‘gigafactory’ comes from the word ‘Giga,’ the unit of measurement representing “billions.”
Gigafactories are built in phases so that Tesla can begin manufacturing immediately inside the finished sections and continue to expand thereafter.
Last month Tesla applied to become an electricity generator in the UK.
