Tesla to move engineering HQ from Texas back to California (2024)

By Wire Services

7:01 PM on Feb 22, 2023 CST

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Tesla has decided to base its engineering headquarters in Palo Alto at a former Hewlett-Packard site, the company’s top boss Elon Musk announced on Wednesday.

Musk made the announcement in Palo Alto during a joint appearance with Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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“We’re excited to announce that Tesla’s global engineering headquarters will be right here in the former headquarters of Hewlett-Packard,” Musk said. “This is a poetic transition from the company that founded Silicon Valley to Tesla.”

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The decision to place the engineering headquarters in Palo Alto represents a win for California and its political establishment, which were jolted when Tesla in 2020 revealed it would decamp from the Golden State and move the company’s headquarters to Austin.

In comments at that time, Musk said he wanted the Tesla headquarters to be closer to one of the electric vehicle maker’s factories as well as a SpaceX complex, both in Texas.

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But Musk also criticized California’s sour business climate and economic environment for his decision to shift the Tesla headquarters from Palo Alto to Texas.

“If a team is winning for too long, they tend to get complacent,” Musk said in December 2020. “California has been winning for a long time, and I think they’re taking it for granted.”

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With more than 47,000 employees in California, Tesla has maintained a large footprint in the state, including hardware and software engineering in Palo Alto, its auto plant in Fremont, battery development and testing in San Diego and Megapack production in Lathrop.

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For Newsom, Tesla’s decision also represents a win at a time when his second term in the governor’s office has stoked speculation about his possible future plans regarding national politics. The governor also indicated that he’s well aware California can’t be complacent, even if its economy would be one of the world’s largest.

“I recognize the world we invented is now competing against us,” the governor said. “You can’t rest on your laurels.”

Musk and Newsom offered few other details about the move, and didn’t specify if it would create any new jobs.

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Tesla to move engineering HQ from Texas back to California (2024)

FAQs

Tesla to move engineering HQ from Texas back to California? ›

Elon Musk announced during a joint press conference with California Gov. Gavin Newsom that Tesla would be returning its global engineering headquarters to California, two years after a dramatic exit that saw the electric car company leave the Golden State for a facility in Austin, Texas.

Is Tesla engineering moving back to California? ›

Tesla is returning to California, CEO Elon Musk announced Wednesday in a joint press conference with Gov. Gavin Newsom. "We're very excited to make this our global engineering headquarters," said Musk. The electric vehicle company had left California two years ago for a facility in Austin, Texas.

Is Tesla moving to Texas from California? ›

Musk has strong ties with Texas. He moved Tesla's corporate headquarters from Palo Alto in California to the Texas city of Austin in 2021 after criticising California's regulations and taxes, and also clashing with health officials at the start of the Covid pandemic over reopening a factory in Fremont.

Where is Tesla engineering headquarters in California? ›

Now, Tesla's engineering headquarters is officially located in Palo Alto, California, as announced by the company and Governor Gavin Newson at an opening event in recent weeks, and as detailed in reports from Reuters and USA Today.

Why did Elon Musk move Tesla headquarters? ›

Tesla moved its corporate headquarters to Austin, TX from Palo Alto, CA in 2021, after Musk criticized California's regulatory and tax environment. Tesla shares ticked 0.8% higher Thursday to $188.86 per share, though they've lost close to 24% of their value so far this year.

Is Tesla returning its global engineering headquarters to California? ›

Elon Musk announced the new facility alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom. After breaking up with California in 2021, Tesla is headed back to Palo Alto.

Is Tesla leaving Texas? ›

Tesla to move engineering HQ from Texas back to California.

What part of Tesla is moving back to California? ›

Tesla's new engineering headquarters will be located in the former headquarters of Hewlett Packard in Palo Alto, California, Musk said, although he did not specify when the move would take place.

Why can't Tesla sell in Texas? ›

If you're a Texan and you crave a Tesla, you must travel to another state to buy one, or have the sale paperwork processed in another state. Texas first enacted protectionist dealership laws in the 1930s. The regulations banned the selling of cars to consumers by anyone other than a franchised dealer.

Why is there no Tesla in Texas? ›

Texas is one of 17 states where automakers cannot sell directly to consumers. Reporting by the New York Times describes the experience of buying a Tesla in the state, “Employees are not even allowed to discuss prices with prospective buyers and the showrooms cannot accept orders.

Why is Tesla moving its headquarters back to California? ›

The move returns Tesla to the world's center of technology and innovation, and puts Musk in closer proximity to the headquarters of Twitter, which the billionaire tech entrepreneur purchased last year in a massive social media shakeup.

Where is Tesla's new engineering headquarters? ›

22, 2023. Courtesy Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Tesla Motors has announced that it is going to base its global engineering and AI headquarters in Palo Alto at the former Hewlett Packard Enterprise campus, the company said on Wednesday.

Where is Tesla headquarters moving to? ›

Tesla officially moved its headquarters to Texas at the end of 2021 from California. The move was part of CEO Elon Musk's ongoing breakup with the Golden State. The shift also brings Tesla closer to its sister company, SpaceX.

Are Californians still moving to Texas? ›

The top 5 states with the most residents moving to Texas in 2022 were: California – 102,442 new residents. Florida – 41,747 new residents. New York – 30,890 new residents.

Why is SpaceX leaving Delaware? ›

The move follows a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that ordered Tesla to rescind Elon Musk's 2018 CEO pay package, worth about $56 billion in options.

Why is Tesla headquarters moving to Texas? ›

Why is Tesla moving its headquarter from Palo Alto, California to Austin, Texas? A few reasons why businesses in general are relocating to Texas. 1. Texas is more “business friendly” than California - far fewer hoops to jump through on environmental assessments and such when building a gigantic factory.

Is Tesla still manufacturing in California? ›

There are two main vehicle production plants: Their original factory in Fremont, California - which used to be a GM/Toyota joint venture and was purchased by Tesla in 2010. It has about 5.5 million square feet and 4,500 employees. It makes all four of the Tesla cars - the S, 3, X and Y.

Where is Tesla moving to in California? ›

In February 2023, the Tesla CEO said the company is moving into office space in Palo Alto previously occupied by Hewlett-Packard. He said the move will allow the company to work more on its plans for autonomous driving and robotics.

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