Elon Musk says that Tesla would consider buying idled GM plants, turning the SEC in 60 minutes
" It is possible that we would be interested. If they were to sell a plant or not use it we would take it over, "he said.
In an extensive interview with 60 Minutes Lesley Stahl, Musk made no apologies for his irregular behavior during the summer and repeated his lack of respect for the Securities and Exchange Commission, who sued him in September to say that investors were improved after tweeting that he wanted to take the company publicly to $ 420 a share and had "funding secured." He did not and retreated on these plans A few weeks later.
"Nobody is perfect," he said.
Musk acknowledged that he was "impulsive" and added that he "would not really try to adhere to any CEO's template. "He stamped controversy all summer with his erratic behavior, drew the SEC, shouted a diver in the Thai cave, rescued a" pedo "and capping the summer by smoking the pot on Joe Rogan podcast.
" I'm just me. I mean, I was probably under insane stress and crazy bile hours. But the system would have failed if I was really erratic, said Musk.
SEC forced Musk to step down as chairman for three years. The company is called Robyn Denholm, who was already in the board.
"I will be ready: I do not respect the SEC," said Musk. "I do not respect them." But he said that he obeyed the agreement because he respected the American justice system.
He scoffed on the idea that Denholm was put in place to keep him in line. "Yes, it's not realistic in the sense that I'm the biggest shareholder in the company. And I can only call a vote of shareholders and get something done as I want," said Musk.
He does not want to go back to the role of chair, he said. "I really only prefer to have no titles at all."
Tesla has struggled to ramp up the production of its much hyped Model 3 mid size sedan. The company used to build a second assembly line inside a tent-like structure next to the main assembly plant in Fremont, California. The decision, as many Tesla has done, was ridiculed by some in the industry.
Momentary pressure increased production by 50 percent, Musk told 60 minutes Lesley Stahl.
"These games against the company were right of all conventional standards that we would fail," he said, "but they just did not count on this unconventional situation to create a second collection in the parking lot in a tent."
Musk said the long-awaited $ 35,000 version of Model 3 will "likely" be available in five to six months. That's the price of the vehicle Tesla originally promised would be an electric sedan for the masses when it was first unveiled in March 2016. Since then, Tesla has only made higher prices for the car.
Musk admitted he is notorious for missing deadlines.
"Well, I mean punctuality is not my strong suit. I think, why would people think if I had been late on all the other models, it would be suddenly in time with this one," he said.
GM's decision to cut production on several plants and eliminate 14,000 jobs has caused anger and concern among legislators, workers and people in regions dependent on the factories for work. Some say that GM's decision is a necessary step to ensure the company's future when it comes to changing consumer tastes, new technology and new potential competitors, including Tesla.
The possible plant closures give Tesla a chance. It would not be the first time Tesla bought a GM plant. The Tesla factory in Fremont, California is a former GM factory that closed in 2010 but reopened later that year under Musk.
Under the terms of the settlement, Musk had to pay a fine of $ 20 million o I go down as Tesla leader for a period of at least three years. Tesla has also set up a system to monitor Musk's statements to the public about the company, either on Twitter, blog posts or any other medium.
Musk said that the only tweets that must be approved are those who can move the stock price. He said that he uses Twitter to express himself. "Someone uses your hair," he said, "I used Twitter."
