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Tesla deal with Toyota
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AirTalk Tile 2024
Jul 21, 2010
Listen 5:26
Tesla deal with Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation and auto-upstart Tesla Motors say they'll work together to develop an all-electric version of Toyota's RAV4 SUV. The plan is to make the car at the Nummi plant in Freemont, which Tesla purchased for $42 million. Tesla, the brainchild of Elon Musk, an engineer and computer programmer who made his fortune as co-founder of PayPal, has already developed a proto-type electric drive train for the RAV4. Meanwhile, GM has its Volt coming out, Nissan has the Leaf, and a slew of other electric cars are on the horizon…does this Tesla-Toyota deal put them in the lead in the race to develop technology that can replace the gasoline engine?
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk (L) and Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda shake hands after a news conference at Tesla Motors headquarters May 20, 2010 in Palo Alto, California.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk (L) and Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda shake hands after a news conference at Tesla Motors headquarters May 20, 2010 in Palo Alto, California.
(
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
)

Toyota Motor Corporation and auto-upstart Tesla Motors say they'll work together to develop an all-electric version of Toyota's RAV4 SUV. The plan is to make the car at the Nummi plant in Freemont, which Tesla purchased for $42 million. Tesla, the brainchild of Elon Musk, an engineer and computer programmer who made his fortune as co-founder of PayPal, has already developed a proto-type electric drive train for the RAV4. Meanwhile, GM has its Volt coming out, Nissan has the Leaf, and a slew of other electric cars are on the horizon…does this Tesla-Toyota deal put them in the lead in the race to develop technology that can replace the gasoline engine?

Toyota Motor Corporation and auto-upstart Tesla Motors say they'll work together to develop an all-electric version of Toyota's RAV4 SUV. The plan is to make the car at the Nummi plant in Freemont, which Tesla purchased for $42 million. Tesla, the brainchild of Elon Musk, an engineer and computer programmer who made his fortune as co-founder of PayPal, has already developed a proto-type electric drive train for the RAV4. Meanwhile, GM has its Volt coming out, Nissan has the Leaf, and a slew of other electric cars are on the horizon…does this Tesla-Toyota deal put them in the lead in the race to develop technology that can replace the gasoline engine?

Guest:

Diarmuid O’Connell, VP for Business Development, Tesla

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Host, AirTalk
Host, Morning Edition, AirTalk Friday, The L.A. Report Morning Edition
Senior Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Associate Producer, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek