Tesla boss Elon Musk has threatened to move operations of his electric car firm away from California because of coronavirus restrictions.
Almeda County, where Tesla’s main US plant is, said the company did not meet its local criteria for re-opening manufacturing on Friday.
Responding in a series of Twitter conversations on Saturday, Musk said he was “immediately” filing a lawsuit over their actions, which he said violated “our constitutional freedoms” and “common sense”.
He also insisted his company’s experience in China meant it knew “far more” than local officials about safety restrictions.
California has recorded more than 2,600 deaths from the virus, one of the highest rates in the US.
