Sacramento Aims To Lure Electric Car Maker To California Capital

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Silicon Valley electric-car maker is considering building a massive manufacturing plant in California, with Sacramento and Tracy on its short list.

Automakers consider the Atieva a possible competitor to Tesla. The company's site boasts it's based in California and has scenic shots of the coastline.

But Sacramento Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg wants to steer them to the valley.

"My message to the company is very simple: Come to Sacramento. We want you, and we want companies like you," he said.

Steinberg campaigned on diversifying Sacramento's economy, where public sector and government jobs account for 35 percent of employment in California's capital.

"We can no longer just be a government town," he said. "We want high-wage, private-sector employers, and especially electric vehicles, alternative energy, renewable energy," he said.

According to public documents filed with the state, Atieva plans to turn its concept into reality by manufacturing in 2018, eventually producing 50,000 a year. That would require 1,300 permanent employees and require 250 construction workers.

The company aims to compete with Tesla, which makes cars at the massive Fremont NUMMI plant.

The plan came to light after California's treasurer approved $44 million in tax credits for the company to build in state.