Car Advice

Tesla to give Toyota two EV prototypes this month

By Brett Davis |

Toyota announced in May it has invested $50 million into Tesla Motors in exchange for some development and research on electric vehicles. Tesla has now said it is going to provide Toyota with two EV prototypes.

The prototypes are said to be based on heavily modified Toyota vehicles, and reports say Tesla has signed a deal to pass them over by the end of July.

Tesla’s chief technology officer, JB Straubel, is quated as saying in a recent Automotive News report,

“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.”

No word has been spread as to what kind of prototypes the two cars are and what specifications they have, as Tesla has been noted as refusing to comment, but Tesla has said the Toyota-based cars are fitted with Tesla batteries and motors. Toyota has also said it is working on an electric two-seater ‘urban commuter’ though, which Toyota is hoping will achieve a range of 80km per charge.


 
  • http://www.formalcars.com.au Tony

    Oh geez I hope Toyota styling or build quality doesn’t rub off on Tesla

  • Shak

    lets just hope Tesla is smart and just takes the Toyota tech, makes its Model S, and makes money.

    • Tinman

      I cant see how toyota would pay Tesla $50 000 000 so that Tesla can use toyota’s low rent tech.

  • Tinman

    There once was a car company called Tesla.