When Tesla struck a deal a few months ago with Toyota to buy the closed NUMMI factory in Fremont, CA, it was made clear that the $42 million price tag only included the building and property. At the time, Tesla officials indicated that most of the equipment previously used to build Toyota Tacomas and Pontiac Vibeswas unsuitable for its upcoming products.
Apparently, after going through the available machinery, Tesla did find some items it can use and has reached an agreement with Toyota and Motors Liquidation Company (the remnants of the old, bankruptGeneral Motors) to buy some of the equipment for a total of $15 million. Tesla has paid $4.6 million as a deposit toward the purchase and will close the deal along with the property purchase. The purchase likely covers generic equipment such as lift trucks, robots and paint equipment.
