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Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck may find a home in Austin.
Texas is the home of the pickup truck—roughly one in five sold in the U.S. is bought here. But the next model to be made here may be one unlike any seen before.
If Tesla decides to bring its next factory to Austin, the unique-looking Cybertruck would be one of two models produced, and the electric carmaker is pitching it as a natural fit.
"I think you guys will really enjoy it down in Texas," Rohan Patel, Tesla's director of public policy and business development, told Travis County commissioners.
(mrlewaynee/Wikimedia via Creative Commons)
Both the Del Valle ISD school board and Travis County Commissioners Court are considering tax breaks for Tesla, which has proposed the $1.1 billion "Gigafactory" for a site in Southeast Austin and plans to hire 5,000 people to work there.
Cybertruck
The vehicle features "a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton" made of stainless steel, "vault-like storage" and an "ability to pull near infinite mass," according to the company's website.
Now available for preorder, production of the Cybertruck is expected to begin in late 2022. The price ranges from $39,900 to $69,900, depending on the motor type, with a self-driving add-on available for $8,000.
When Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck on Nov. 21 at an event in Los Angeles, it prompted much feedback on its design.
I don't understand what the fuss is about the Tesla #Cybertruck. It looks ok to me. https://t.co/8vBl1jS74T— dave appleby (@dave appleby) 1574401722.0
But others are enamored with the vehicle.
First, I thought it was a joke, then I thought it was ugly, then I thought it was interesting, then I was obsessed… https://t.co/3SINCp1fhd— Michael Fink (@Michael Fink) 1593316630.0
A Cybertruck recently went on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A.
We are honored to have @mayemusk and @ToscaMusk, and @drsabrinakay visit the @Tesla #Cybertruck during our reopenin… https://t.co/0qeawgWMaL— Petersen Museum (@Petersen Museum) 1592864729.0
The proposed factory would also produce the company's Model Y, a midsize SUV, for East Coast markets, Musk tweeted on March 10.
Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory. Will be central USA.— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1583885524.0
If approved by DVISD and Travis County commissioners, construction could begin on the factory as soon as this fall.
- Travis County considers Tesla incentives deal, unions react - austonia ›
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- Five reasons why Elon Musk and Grimes should choose Austin ... ›
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- What Tulsa offers Elon Musk for Tesla's next 'Gigafactory' - austonia ›
- Tesla truck is getting redesign before work starts in Austin - austonia ›
- Ford’s F-150 Lightning vs. Tesla’s Cybertruck: The race to become America's pickup - austonia ›
- Elon Musk doesn't care if Tesla's Austin-made Cybertruck flops - austonia ›
- The CyberLandr is a disappearing camper for your Cybertruck - austonia ›
- Facility for Cybertruck campers are moving R&D to Austin - austonia ›
- Tesla eyes Austin and Tulsa for Cybertruck production, report says ... ›
- Tesla Cybertruck factory bakeoff pits Tulsa against Austin | Fortune ›
- Tesla Homes In on Austin, Texas, for Cybertruck Plant Site ... ›
- Talk of Tesla setting up in Austin strengthens - Austin Business Journal ›
- Tesla Austin: A timeline of events | kvue.com ›
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
