Tesla managed to convince the Mexican state of Nuevo León to create a special lane that allows its suppliers in the country to cross more easily to and from the United States. The state of Nuevo León borders Texas, where Tesla has moved its headquarters and now relies on various suppliers from Mexico to operate.
Iván Rivas, the economy minister of Nuevo León, says that Tesla is currently working with six state suppliers, including APG México, EnFlex Corp., Faurecia and even Germany’s ZF. And now that the automaker has established its home base in Texas, it’s only natural that the number of companies it trusts on the border will increase over time.
Wait times to cross the border crossing between Texas and Nuevo León can be up to 25 minutes during rush hour and by using the new dedicated lane, Tesla vendors get through in less than 10 minutes. The lane is marked with the Tesla script just above it, and it’s really unusual to see something like this at a border crossing.
The two states only share a 9-mile border with a single crossing point. It is the only direct border between Nuevo León and the United States.
Bloomberg quotes Iván Rivas as saying
It was a simple incentive. What we want is a crossing that is much more expeditious and efficient. And maybe there’s a path for other companies in the future like there is for Tesla.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spoken about the possibility of opening a factory somewhere in Mexico. As noted in the Electrek report that made it public, the location had not yet been decided and there was a possibility that it could be built in Canada as well. However, if Tesla were to choose Mexico, Nuevo León, whose government is already in contact, could be a desirable location.
