Tesla Could Buy Idled GM Factories

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk tells CBS Television’s “60 Minutes” show that he might be willing to buy a few of the five factories in North America that General Motors Co. plans to close.

CBS released clips from the interview, which will air Sunday, earlier today. Tesla currently builds all three of its electric car models in a former GM factory in Fremont, Calif.

Whether GM has interest in selling any of the facilities slated for closure is unclear. When the shutdowns were announced at the beginning of last week, GM said the decision was in response to a sharp swing in consumer demand from sedans to SUVs, crossovers and pickup trucks.

The market shift has prompted GM to phase out several car models, leaving the affected factories “unallocated” with future programs—at least for now. GM could opt to mothball the facilities and reopen them when it has new work for them. But analysts say that isn’t likely to happen anytime soon.