BERLIN, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Following reports by German media, the Ministry of Economics confirmed in Hanover on Thursday that electric carmaker Tesla had examined Lower Saxony as a potential location for a European factory.
"I would be delighted about the company's commitment and the new jobs it will create in our country," said Lower Saxony's Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann.
According to the ministry, potential locations had been presented to Tesla after the electric car manufacturer had provided the German state with specific requirement details for a new factory.
Althusmann praised Lower Saxony, which is also the home of Germany's biggest car manufacturer Volkswagen, for a "good location within the European transport network including port connections, a dynamic research landscape and renewable energies on the doorstep."
Plans of the U.S. company to build a factory in Germany have become more concrete in June 2018 when Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted on Twitter that Germany was the "leading choice" for the location of Tesla´s Gigafactory 4.
Several German media reported that the city of Emden which has a close proximity to offshore power producers and the county Emsland are now at the top of the list of potential location candidates.
According to Lower Saxony's economic ministry, it was still unclear when Tesla would make its decision. Althusmann last contacted Musk in a letter in September 2018 in which he already promoted the advantages of Lower Saxony as a business location.
"Lower Saxony is one of the world's top regions of the automotive industry, which is also known to Tesla," said Althusmann.
