Tesla Beats Toyota To #1 Automaker

Well, at least in California…

Tesla Motors is now officially the largest automotive employer in the great state of California and now employs more than Toyota, the former number one.

Tesla’s workforce has grown to 6,000 whilst the Japanese firm only has 5,300 at present, a number which is due to fall as the automaker has announced that it will be moving much of its production out of the state, to Texas, in the near future in the interest of saving tax dollars. Whilst Toyota is planning to shrink its Californian workforce due to the high cost of operating in California, which is not known for being particularly business-friendly, Tesla has announced 500 new jobs within its Californian operation by the end of 2014.

Gino di Caro, spokesman for the Californian Manufacturers and Technology Association, said, “Tesla’s scaling up is terrific news. It’s also an exception and we could do with more of them.”

Tesla had 5,800 employees worldwide last year, 90% of which are based in California.

image: bloomberg.com