Tesla tells employees it received a nod to reopen California plant

The car maker sued the Alameda County this month after it said the company did not meet criteria to reopen

 Tesla has told its employees the company has received approval to start full production at its California plant. AP Photo

Tesla told its employees it received approval to resume operations at its factory after chief executive Elon Musk threatened to move the company’s headquarters and future programmes following a move by a California county to block the reopening.

The company said Alameda County’s interim health officer had approved its Fremont work plan and safety measures, according to an email sent to employees that was seen by Bloomberg.

In the message, Tesla’s vice president for environmental, health, and safety, Laurie Shelby, told employees that following a visit by local authorities, “we have local support to get back to full production at the factory starting this upcoming week”.

Officials at Tesla and the county did not immediately respond to queries after regular business hours.

Tesla sued the county this month after it said the company did not meet criteria to reopen, a move Mr Musk called “the final straw” as he threatened to move Tesla’s base to Nevada or Texas. Tesla employs roughly 11,000 workers in Fremont, California, where the factory is located.