Baja California pushing to be electric car manufacturing hub

TIJUANA (Border Report) — As of 2035, all new cars sold in California and in other parts of the U.S. will have to be electric or run on alternative fuels such as hydrogen.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Baja California business leaders want the state to become a hub for the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles.

Baja’s secretary for the economy and innovation, Kurt Honold, says he and others are planning a trip to Germany and other European countries to promote the state’s desire to be home to factories that will build electric cars in the future.

“We are making the necessary inquiries in preparation for our trip as we try to lure these companies to Baja California,” said Honold.

According to Honold, they are promoting the entire northwest Baja California region including Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito.

“The idea is to establish assembly plants that will work within the electric car industry as we get closer to 2035 and the deadline set up by California and other parts of the United States.”

Honold was asked about the economic impact expected should these plants ever set up in the Tijuana region, all he would say is that it would be “very favorable due to the area’s proximity to California, one of the biggest consumers of alternative-fuel vehicles.”

“As an example, the Toyota Tacoma plant in place since 2003 provides 3,000 direct jobs and 500 indirect jobs, We’re producing Toyota’s biggest selling vehicle,” he said. “It started as a small plant and it’s been growing ever since to what it is today.”