Tesla to Deliver Prototype Electric Autos to Toyota
July 10th, 2010Via: Bloomberg:
Tesla Motors Inc., an electric carmaker working with Toyota Motor Corp. on battery-powered autos, said it will deliver two rechargeable prototypes to Toyota this month as a first step in their alliance.
Toyota, the world’s largest seller of hybrid autos, in May said it would invest $50 million in Palo Alto, California-based Tesla and jointly develop electric models with the startup. Both prototypes are modified Toyota vehicles, said JB Straubel, Tesla’s chief technology officer.
“Since our announcement in May, Toyota and Tesla engineering teams have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time and it is exciting to start seeing some initial results,” Straubel said today in an e-mail message. Tesla has signed an agreement “to deliver two electric vehicle prototypes to Toyota by the end of the month,” he said.
Let’s hope they can stop the cars one they start them:
AP Yahoo:
“It’s the kind of publicity any university might dream about: An instructor uncovers a possible flaw that’s causing some of the world’s most popular cars to accelerate suddenly. His ground-breaking work attracts interest from Congress and reporters worldwide.
“But as Southern Illinois University’s David Gilbert sought to show that electronics might be to blame for the problem in Toyotas, the world’s largest automaker tried to cast doubt on his findings. One Toyota employee even questioned whether he should be employed by the school, which has long been a recipient of company donations.”