Reno bets Tesla gigafactory will erase image as downmarket Las Vegas

Image

Cathleen Allison / AP

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk speaks at a press conference after Nevada was chosen as the new site for a $5 billion car battery gigafactory, which will be built east of Reno. Several hundred people attended the media event at the Capitol in Carson City, Nev., on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)

Mon, Jun 22, 2015 (2:56 p.m.)

Elon Musk’s sprawling factory outside Reno, Nevada, won’t start making batteries until next year, and local residents are already talking up the “Tesla effect.”

Tesla employees have begun relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area, buying houses in leafy neighborhoods and enrolling their kids in local schools. The new Whitney Peak Hotel, a non-smoking, non-gambling luxury inn, has become the unofficial headquarters for visiting Tesla workers. JetBlue Airways began offering the first direct flights from New York last month and says the route is already well-subscribed.

To see the full story, click here.

Back to top

SHARE

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy