Money Well Spent? Ford Drops $200K To Be One Of The First Model X Buyers

Ford Motor Co. paid $199,950 — $55,000 more than the sticker price — to buy one of the first sport utility vehicles made by Tesla Motors Inc., according to vehicle registration documents obtained by Bloomberg.

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. Registration records show that Ford purchased the vehicle March 1. The original owner, a California coin dealer, bought it as part of Tesla’s customer-referral promotion.

TheSteve - 4/20/2016 5:01:56 PM

+3 Boost

Damned straight it's a good idea for Ford! $200K is pocket change for The Ford Motor Company, and what they can learn from disassembling it and possibly reverse engineering it could prove to be priceless.

vdiv - 4/20/2016 8:03:59 PM

+2 Boost

Do we know how many Fords Tesla had to dissect to make their models? :)

MDarringer - 4/20/2016 10:40:44 PM

0 Boost

None of Tesla's EV technology is game-changing and certainly not any better than other EVs out there.

MorePower - 4/20/2016 5:19:12 PM

+1 Boost

They probably bought it for the rear door assemblies and hinge system alone.

Vette71 - 4/20/2016 10:54:56 PM

+2 Boost

For the Lincoln Navigator Concept recently shown?

carloslassiter - 4/20/2016 5:56:57 PM

+2 Boost

I'm guessing all of the stuff Ford wants to copy is patented, but at least their execs will have a cool car to borrow in the motor pool.

nguyenvuminh - 4/20/2016 6:50:20 PM

+4 Boost

All car companies buy the other mfrs' product to study, improve and innovate. The fact that Ford, and probably couple of other mfrs, is studying Tesla cars is a testament to how seriously they take Tesla. But then what the hell does Ford and other car mfrs know, the Autospies experts here are already saying Tesla has no future so that must be true right.

HenryN - 4/21/2016 1:48:53 AM

+1 Boost

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/20/ford-isnt-the-only-rival-that-bought-a-tesla-model.aspx?source=yahoo-2&utm_campaign=article&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=yahoo-2

Vette71 - 4/20/2016 11:14:41 PM

+2 Boost

Car companies have done this for decades. As a young engineer after interviewing with Ford they took me to the airport in a Pontiac Grand Prix. Impressive. GM had a Ford Maverick completely taken apart 3 days before it went on sale.

Ford knows that EVs, hybrids and ICE all have a future in the transportation fleet in the coming decades. Each uniquely meets the needs of a segment of customers and each has major drawbacks to segments. Hence all the debates on this site. Tesla as technology that Ford will want to know about.