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Tesla Motors to Build Battery 'Gigafactory' in Nevada

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Tesla Model S Sedan.
Tesla Model S Sedan. (Image credit: Tesla)

Tesla Motors is building a new factory in Nevada to produce batteries for its electric cars, the company announced Thursday (Sept. 4).

The state has been selected as the official site for Tesla's futuristic-sounding Gigafactory, according to Elon Musk, chairman and CEO of the Palo Alto, California-based Tesla Motors.

"The Gigafactory is an important step in advancing the cause of sustainable transportation and will enable the mass production of compelling electric vehicles for decades to come," Musk said in a statement.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval called the announcement "great news for Nevada," and said the Gigafactory could inject nearly $100 billion into the state's economy over the next 20 years.

"I am grateful that Elon Musk and Tesla saw the promise in Nevada," Sandoval said in a statement. "These 21st-century pioneers, fueled with innovation and desire, are emboldened by the promise of Nevada to change the world. Nevada is ready to lead."

Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+.

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Denise Chow
Denise Chow
Live Science Contributor

Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.