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Ford Spent $200,000 To Dissect a Limited-Edition Tesla Model X (bloomberg.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Ford Motor paid a sum of $199,950 ($55,000 more than the retail price) to buy one of the first sport utility vehicles made by Tesla Motors, reports Bloomberg, citing vehicle registration documents. The white Model X is a Founders Series with a vehicle identification number indicating it was the 64th one made at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California. The vehicle, with Michigan plates, has been spotted recently in the Detroit area. Automakers often buy cars made by competitors for road testing and for 'tear-downs' to reveal components and materials and how they're put together. But it's unusual to pay such a high price -- almost $212,000 after Michigan sales tax and title -- for such an early model.Well, this $200,000 could shave off hundreds of thousands of dollars in research and development.

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  1. Re:Buying the bakery by U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He didn't mean "Why would Tesla sell a car to Ford?" he meant "Why would Musk sell Tesla to Ford?"