California-based electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Inc plans to set up a small research and development office in Athens with the purpose of developing new electric motor technologies, reports said over the weekend.

According to local media, Tesla Greece was registered last week and a small team, involving 10 engineers, will operate from the Demokritos National Center for Scientific Research.

In comments made to Electrek website on Saturday, an unnamed Tesla official confirmed the company was seeking to expand its presence in the Greek capital.

“Tesla is building a small research and development office in Athens, which will be comprised of a highly-qualified engineering team. This team will focus solely on limited research and development activities to accelerate electric motor technology development through close collaboration with our team in the US,” the report quoted the official as saying.

“Greece has strong electric motor engineering talent and technical universities, offering tailored programs and specialized skills for electric motor technology,” the official added, according to the report.

This article was first published on ekathimerini.com