Alameda County officials are signaling the two sides have come to an agreement after Elon Musk defied local orders and reopened the plant
It appears the dispute between Tesla and San Francisco Bay Area authorities over the reopening of a factory in the face of shutdown orders is coming to an end.
The Alameda County Public Health Department announced on Twitter early Wednesday that the Fremont, California, plant will be able to go beyond basic operations this week and start making vehicles this coming Monday – as long as it delivers on the worker safety precautions it agreed to.
It wasn’t clear from a press release whether Tesla would face any punishment for reopening Monday in defiance of county orders. Messages were left early Wednesday seeking comment from health officials and Tesla.
The release said Fremont police would verify whether Tesla was holding up its part of the agreement.
The release says public health indicators have to remain stable or improve for the factory to stay open.
“We will be working with the Fremont PD to verify Tesla is adhering to physical distancing and that agreed upon health and safety measures are in place for the safety of their workers as they prepare for full production,” the release said.
Meanwhile, The Verge is reporting that Tesla is reopening its Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada, where it produces batteries for the company’s electric cars and energy storage products and parts for Tesla’s Model 3.
