'If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me': Elon Musk needles local officials as Tesla restarts production against county rules

After filing lawsuit against Alameda County, billionaire defies shelter-in-place order to reopen California facility

After threatening to pull Tesla from its California facility and move the company to Nevada or Texas, electric car manufacturer Elon Musk announced that he's resuming production and is willing to be arrested while his employees defy Alameda County's shelter-in-place order amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He said on Twitter: "I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me."

On Saturday, he announced that he intends to file a lawsuit against Alameda County, saying that "the unelected & ignorant 'Interim Health Officer' of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!"

"This is the final straw," he said. "Tesla will move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately."

His lawsuit filed in US District Court seeks an injunction against the county's shelter-in-place order, which he has called "fascist". The lawsuit alleges that the order "contradicts the Governor's Order to the extent it restricts the operation of business operating in the federal critical infrastructure sectors."

During a press conference on Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was not aware that the factory was reopening.

Tesla had announced it intends to restart "limited operations" and return roughly 30 per cent of the workforce to the Fremont facility, against the guidance of Alameda County officials, who said the company had not yet met the criteria to resume business.

In a statement, county officials said: "Tesla has been informed that they do not meet those criteria and must not reopen. ... We welcome Tesla's proactive work on a reopening plan, so that once they fit the criteria to reopen, they can do so in a way that protects their employees and the community at large."

Health officials in Alameda County have identified more than 2,000 cases of Covid-19 in the region, including at least 70 deaths, as of Monday.

Analysts also have suggested that Mr Musk's threats to leave the state follow a growing list of wealthy residents who also have moved to Nevada and Texas to avoid the state's high income tax rate. The state imposes a rate of 13.3 per cent on its wealthiest residents.

According to filings, the company's 2018 compensation package could net Mr Musk more than $55 billion if the company meets certain targets, CNBC reported.