Electric vehicle maker GreenPower Motor Company will open a 135,000-square-foot plant in Santa Teresa, a facility expected to create more than 340 jobs and deliver a $200 million economic boost to southern New Mexico.
The move, fueled by $14.6 million in state incentives, marks a major step in New Mexico’s clean energy transition and efforts to diversify beyond oil and gas. Officials said the project strengthens the local workforce and positions the border community as a hub for advanced, zero-emission manufacturing in North America.
“With this strategic investment, we’re creating high-quality jobs and strengthening our economy while building the carbon-free energy future New Mexico’s families deserve,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a press release.
GreenPower, which builds all-electric zero-emission school buses, transit vehicles and cargo vehicles, announced the plant this week. CEO Fraser Atkinson said the incentives, the Santa Teresa Foreign Trade Zone designation and New Mexico’s electric vehicle ecosystem drove the decision.
Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary Rob Black said the move builds on an earlier state electric school bus pilot project, calling it a “first important step” in bringing GreenPower manufacturing to New Mexico.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich said the project is “a big win for New Mexico,” adding that “building these electric heavy-duty vehicles in America means creating high-quality jobs and staying competitive in the race for the future of transportation.”