Move FM Global News

PARIS, France: French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will meet with Tesla CEO Elon Musk for the second time in just over a month to discuss the electric vehicle maker’s possible investment in France, as well as tech regulation.

Reuters reported that France has been encouraging Chinese EV giant BYD and Tesla to build factories in the country, but is competing with other EU countries, such as Spain, which is also in talks with Tesla.

While visiting the VivaTech summit in Paris, France’s largest tech fair, which Musk will visit this week, Macron told reporters, “I am going into that meeting with an agenda. We are going to talk about artificial intelligence, in which he is involved, social media, regulation framework. And then I will also talk to him about cars, batteries, to promote French and European attractiveness.”

In competition with other European nations, France aims to become a hub for the EV industry through providing generous subsidies, creating a more business-friendly environment and aggressively lobbying EV manufacturers.

The country’s northern region has attracted four gigafactory projects, with the first being inaugurated last month by a consortium that includes Peugeot-owner Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz and French oil company TotalEnergies.

In an interview with CNBC, French minister for digital affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said, “It will be great to have a Tesla factory in France. There has been a lot of effort and energy to make sure this is possible and this can happen.”

“France also has invested in an entire sector of electric batteries, and will try to convince Musk that France is the best possible place in Europe to establish the next Tesla factory,” he added.

Musk, who met Macron and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on 15th May, said then he was confident Tesla would make “significant investments” in France in the future.