Mercedes and Tesla? Tesla Signaled Some Sort of Deal in Feb.

Rumors are buzzing because of a report on AutomobilWoche (Auto Week) that electric car company Tesla Motors would supply batteries and other parts to Daimler. Tesla had in 2007 formed a group to sell batteries, but then it temporarily shut it because of problems it was having getting its first cars out of the factory.

Tesla won’t confirm whether they have a deal with Daimler, but Tesla Chairman Elon Musk told me in February that the company wanted to get back into the business of selling batteries and powertrains for electric cars to other manufacturers. An annoucement would come in the second quarter of 2008 and parts might start going to suppliers in the first part of 2009, he said. The second quarter just ended so an annoucement might come soon. The company is still within the grace period. You can read more here. I completely forgot I wrote this until the rumors from AutomobilWoche. God, I’m getting old.

In February, Musk also said that the company would have a prototype of Whitestar, the sedan, done. Yesterday, it talked about its new factory but didn’t trot out a prototype.