Elon Musk set the record straight about rumors of Tesla investing in Nissan. While the billionaire CEO did not outright deny the rumor or even reject the alleged Nissan proposal, Musk did hint at the inherent flaw of the rumored investment.
The Rumor & Elon’s Reply
According to Fortune, a few influential people in Japan prepared a proposal for Tesla, suggesting an investment in Nissan. The report suggests that Tesla might be interested in acquiring Nissan’s factories in the United States.
In an X post featuring Fortune’s article about the proposal for Tesla to invest in Nissan, Elon Musk replied, commenting:
“The Tesla factory IS the product. The Cybercab production line is like nothing else in the automotive industry.”
Over the years, Musk has repeatedly emphasized that Tesla’s factories are the company’s product. The best example of this concept is Gigafactory Shanghai. Tesla implemented all the lessons it learned from the GA4 tent it built for the early production of the Model 3 in its factory in China. The company improved its factory model when it built Gigafactory Berlin.
Tesla discussed its production line model, called the unboxed process, during its 2023 Investor Day presentation. Given Tesla’s goal with the manufacturing process, it would probably be more challenging for the EV automaker to retrofit an old car factory rather than build a new factory from scratch.
If Nissan wants a Tesla investment, its US factories might not be the leverage it needs in negotiations.
The Tesla factory IS the product.
The Cybercab production line is like nothing else in the automotive industry.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2025
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