Cars are still a source of recovery for some towns. Downey, a suburb of Los Angeles, hopes Tesla Motors can help revive its fortunes after the collapse of the aerospace industry.
AP's Daisey Nguyen writes:
This blue-collar suburb on the edge of Los Angeles once helped send men to space. After the collapse of its aerospace industry, its ambitions are now more down-to-earth but still looking toward the future.
The City Council last week unanimously approved an agreement intended to lure Tesla Motors' electric car manufacturing plant to the former site of a NASA plant that helped develop the Apollo program and the space shuttle fleet.
The city hopes that the car factory will bring $21 million in city revenues over 15 years, create about 1,200 jobs and help revitalize its reputation as Southern California's high-tech hub.
"Not only will it bring money to the city, it will establish us as a leader in electric car and green technology production," Mayor Mario Guerra said.
