California = Tesla + Toyota

[Rarity]

Thanks, Doug.

 

[Bradleybang]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bottomline/detail?entry_id=64051&tsp=1
Yes, it's Toyota,Tesla, and Nummi (Update)

 

[Bradleybang]

Its going down now. Toyota announces investment and building cars with Tesla @ NUMMI

 

[domenick]

Toyoda was very impressive.

This is really the move Tesla needed to make and the plant they needed to start in.

 

[Todd Burch]

I have the feeling this is going to be a very good partnership...as Elon put it, "leveraging the Toyota production system."

Just hoping they don't get "consumed" by Toyota and maintain a separate, innovative identity.

 

[Rarity]

Nummi really is a monster of a plant. 5.4 million square feet. They'll have tons of free space for years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NUMMI

 

[Kipernicus]

And it's closer to home for Tesla. No more flying down to LA!

 

[doug]

Downey now feels betrayed:

Downey: Tesla Motors went for the cash - The Downey Patriot

[Councilman Mario] Guerra, speaking inside the council chambers, did not back off his earlier comments that Tesla's about face left him feeling "like I was stabbed in the back."

"Today the Southeast Los Angeles County region was betrayed by Tesla," Guerra said. "Mr. Musk gave me his word Tesla would be coming to Downey. Today I learned the same lesson several other cities have learned when dealing with Mr. Musk. I learned just how disingenious Tesla was in their dealing with Downey and I now have a new appreciation why the public is fed up with corporate America. To think, Downey had planned to sign the lease tomorrow."

Read more: The Downey Patriot - Downey Tesla Motors went for the cash

They seem to be taking it harder than New Mexico and San Jose. Hopefully this really is it this time, though.

 

[trevorlsciact]

They seem to be taking it harder than New Mexico and San Jose. Hopefully this really is it this time, though.

I would hope so, did they already sign for it?

 

[stopcrazypp]

http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2010/05/17/daily19.html
http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/pho...394521&Signature=eFhdy8/42XuW0CkqadNj9tHd86I=


I thought they were supposed to lay low re IPO...

Me too. With this kind of announcement, this will definitely affect IPO prices. So what gives.

I'd also hate to be Downey right now, although it is unclear how much of it is Downey being over enthusiastic and how much is it Tesla stringing them along (there's lots of evidence of the latter, since we've seen it happen to New Mexico).

 

[SByer]

I would hope so, did they already sign for it?

The press release on the Tesla site says "has purchased" - as in done deal. Hope that really is they case so they can get building the Model S pronto!

Wow. I can't stop saying that. And kudos to Toyota for recognizing how far behind they were (the PHEV Prius really is woefully wimpy).

 

[Jkam]

I really don't think it was a matter of Tesla leading Downey on. I think Tesla was seriously considering Downey. Musk had mentioned earlier that he liked the NUMMI plant, but it was unaffordable. So he probably was negotiating with Downey and then Toyota called him up and worked out a "last minute" deal. I say "last minute" because I was told by a rep from Tesla that they had picked the site as far back as March, and were just waiting to announce it. I think with Toyota coming in and NUMMI in play, Musk put the Downey site on the backburner until he struck a deal with Toyota.

This is all conjecture.

My big question is what state is NUMMI in? Can Tesla go in there and in a short time retool that site to be making Teslas or are they starting from scratch?

 

[Joseph]

This Toyota-Tesla deal is a big F****** deal. :biggrin:

 

[trevorlsciact]

The press release on the Tesla site says "has purchased" - as in done deal. Hope that really is they case so they can get building the Model S pronto!

Thats the only thing that would make sense considering the SEC filing I suppose. This is really exciting, exactly what Tesla needed IMO :biggrin:

 

[tdelta1000]

Now that Tesla Motors has its factory and a new partner how long before we see the first production Model S????

Will it be within the 18 month window as it was going to be with the Downey location????

 

[tdelta1000]

What a power move Tesla Motors!!!!!!! Now what? How soon will it be before we see an actual production Model S?

 

[AnOutsider]

What a power move Tesla Motors!!!!!!! Now what? How soon will it be before we see an actual production Model S?

Elon said 2 years

 

[AnOutsider]

Now that Tesla Motors has its factory and a new partner how long before we see the first production Model S????

Will it be within the 18 month window as it was going to be with the Downey location????

Well, Elon said it: Expecting Model S production "in 2012...sort of mid-2012".

Not sure if he was referring to signature or regular production.

No big surprise there.

^^ :frown:

 

[Albern]

Hey guys, for anyone who is interested in learning more about NUMMI and the GM-Toyota joint venture, I just finished listening to this podcast. Really interesting, it focused on NUMMI and GM's adoption attempt of Kazen / lean production methods and GM's failure to replicate NUMMI elsewhere. The program is a little over an hour long but is worth a listen - http://www.thisamericanlife.org/donate?destination=radio-archives/episode/403/nummi.

Prologue.
Host Ira Glass introduces the story of the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc., aka NUMMI. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota opened NUMMI as a joint venture. Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system: how it made cars of much higher quality and much lower cost than GM achieved. But today, GM cars still don't have the quality of Japanese imports, GM is bankrupt and on March 31, NUMMI will be closed, sending thousands of car workers looking for jobs. In this hour-long story, NPR Automotive Correspondent Frank Langfitt tells the story of NUMMI and why GM – and the rest of the American car business – wasn't able to learn from it more quickly. (4 1/2 minutes)
Act One.
The rise of NUMMI, or how one of the worst auto plants in America started producing some of its best cars, thanks to lessons learned from the Toyota production system. (25 1/2 minutes)

Act Two.
Why did it take so many years for GM to begin implementing the lessons of NUMMI across the company? NPR Automotive Correspondent Frank Langfitt continues his story. (26 minutes)

This episode contains interviews with the following individuals: David Champion, Jeffrey Liker, John Shook, Bruce Lee and Joel Smith of United Auto Workers / UAW, Rick Madrid, Billy Haggerty, Richard Aguilar, Earl Ferguson, Ernie Schaefer, Mark Hogan, Steve Bera, Larry Spiegel, Dick Fuller, Geoff Weller and James Womack.

 

[jimbayne]

so they finally found a place... bout time....

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2023511120100521?type=marketsNews