Elon Musk says there’s a possibility Tesla would be interested in buying some of the plants that General Motors recently announced it plans to close.
Musk made the comments in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes that is expected to air on Sunday.
On Nov. 26, General Motors announced plans to shut down five plants in North America next year, including one in Ontario, as part of a wider restructuring effort.
The closure of the company’s plant in Oshawa, Ont., is expected to put 2,500 people out of work.
In a video CBS posted online Friday ahead of the interview broadcast, Musk was asked if he would want to buy some of those GM plants.
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“It’s possible that we would be interested, if (they) were going to sell a plant or not use it, that we would take it over,” Musk said.
Musk also suggested in the interview with Lesley Stahl that he welcomes the rival automaker’s plan to increase investment in electric vehicle technology.
“The whole point of Tesla is to accelerate the advent of electric vehicles and sustainable transport,” he said. “We’re trying to help the environment. We think it’s the most serious problem humanity faces.”
Musk stepped down as chairman of Tesla earlier this fall as part of a settlement deal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The U.S. agency filed a lawsuit alleging that Musk duped investors in August with misleading statements on Twitter about securing the funding to take Tesla private.
He remains CEO of the company.
—With files from the Associated Press
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