Frustrated with COVID-19 shutdown, Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla HQ out of California

FREMONT, Calif. (KTVU) -- In a series of tweets Saturday morning, Musk announced he would move the company's headquarters and flagship Fremont factory, as well as future programs to Texas and Nevada -- out of California.

Musk also threatened to close the Fremont automobile assembly plant, saying the final decision would depend on how the state and county treat his company, which he says is the last automaker in California.

Musk said he is suing Alameda County, after officials ordered Tesla on Friday not to resume operations at its Fremont manufacturing plant.

Earlier this week, Tesla did not reopen its factory in Shanghai, China as expected, but instead, opted to reopen its Bay Area facility.

Musk reportedly emailed his staff, alerting them that he would restart operations in Fremont on Friday, but that's when the Alameda County Department of Public Health told him to stand down.

The county issued a statement that “restoring all daily activities too soon risks a rapid spike in cases and would jeopardize the relative stability we’ve seen in our health and hospital system.”

Musk contends that Alameda County's shelter-in-place order goes against recent announcements by Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump about easing restrictions, and emerging from the COVID-19 lockdown.

In a tweet, Musk called interim Alameda Co. Health Officer, Dr. Erica Pan, "unelected & ignorant."

Tesla closed its Fremont factory on March 23, to comply with the public health order.

Tesla says it employs 10,000 workers at this facility.