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Comment by ChuckMcM | Hacker News Reader

I wonder what other countries they considered, did they consider Mexico ? (Ford has plants there) or Brazil? Or perhaps India?

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Not an expert but I believe controlling Lithium reserves is a great way of attracting companies that rely on Battery tech?

[1] - https://qz.com/1292202/china-now-effectively-controls-half-t...

TFA states that this is primarily to serve the Chinese market and secondarily other countries in Asia. Wouldn't make much sense to put the factory in Mexico or Brazil.

I believe the primary reasons are that China, together with Hong Kong, is already one of Tesla's largest markets and it has a great potential for growth as well.

At some point, you have to expect that single party control of a government that is hostile to clean tech and initiating a trade war with the worlds largest consumer market for the next 50 years is going to accelerate the exodus of brains and production from the US, too.

Is China hostile to clean tech? I thought they were one of the biggest driving forces behind clean energy out there.

They also pollute, a lot, because they produce a lot of energy full stop. Afaik they do everything and anything, right now.

Burning coal doesn’t make you anti clean energy , it just makes you a polluter. It’s a bit ironic , but then again: welcome to China :p

Throwaway5752 is referring not to China, but rather the USA, as having “single party control of a government that is hostile to clean tech and initiating a trade war with the worlds largest consumer market for the next 50 years“.

That makes complete sense, and I totally missed it. Sorry, and thanks!

No, it's odd to think of the US in those terms and still feels strange. I understand!

Also big fat tariffs on non-Chinese-made imported cars which make them non-competitive. Basically, China does not believe in free international trade.

electric vehicles are much more common in China than elsewhere - for example Shenzhen adds an extra tax to non-electric taxi rides (the blue taxis are the electric ones), and bans gas powered motorcycles (compare rush hour in Shenzhen with Taipei or Hanoi!) - I think that aiming for the luxury market there is a sensible thing to be doing

India would be a really poor choice compared to china due to corruption externalized costs

I'd say the current administration in India has the willpower and execution to bring big names. Problem is with an ecosystem including the necessary infra to set up something like this.

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