Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla headquarters out of California over lockdown
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter Saturday the company is preparing to file a lawsuit against Alameda County and could move its headquarters and future operations out of California. On Friday, Alameda County's interim public health officer, Dr. Erica Pan, said that health orders to contain a Covid-19 outbreak in the region are still in place, and that Tesla does not have a "green light," to resume vehicle production at its main U.S. car plant in Fremont, California.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin backed Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Monday, telling CNBC that California should help the company reopen its plant there amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I agree with Elon Musk. He’s one of the biggest employers and manufacturers in California, and California should prioritize doing whatever they need to do to solve those health issues so that he can open quickly and safely,” Mnuchin said on “Squawk on the Street.”

Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant has been closed since March 23 due to shelter-in-place orders, but the company is pushing to resume production. A rush to return has been met with heavy resistance from local authorities. Musk threatened Saturday to pull Tesla out of California amid a dispute with Alameda County over the shutdown. Tesla also filed a lawsuit against the county, asking a federal court to invalidate orders by local authorities that have prevented the automaker from resuming production.