Tesla Suit Over Virus Plant Referred for Mediation (Correct)

Tesla Inc.’s lawsuit against Alameda County, California, over a closure order affecting its plant there has been referred into a mediation process, a standard step under the San Francisco federal court’s local rules which does not necessarily mean the case will be resolved that way.

The electric vehicle manufacturer has argued that it should be exempted from the order because its work counts as critical infrastructure. It also claims the county’s order is discriminatory because it goes beyond what other counties in the state have imposed.

Tesla disregarded the order on Monday and reopened its plant. Founder and CEO Elon Musk has also ranted against the county on Twitter, threatening to move the Fremont, California, plant to another state over the matter.

(Corrects to reflect that the order may not result in the case being mediated)

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Anthony Lin in New York at alin364@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net

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