It was hinted earlier that Tesla might join NUMMI in GMs absense.  Tesla needs a manufacturing plant somewhere in California to produce their Model S and the partnership with Toyota would make sense.  So would Tesla like to buy NUMMI and keep the lights on? That would mimic a move announced today, in which Tesla plans to renovate a building in Palo Alto, Calif., for its powertrain operations and corporate headquarters.

Local civic leaders have been pitching the NUMMI idea to Tesla management in San Carlos, Calif.  But it’s an unrealistic proposal, says Tesla spokeswoman Rachel Konrad.

“We need about 500,000 square feet for our plant,” which will assemble electric vehicles, Konrad explains. “NUMMI is 5 million.”

Toyota Motor Corp. is in a quandary over what to do with NUMMI. In 1984, Toyota and General Motors created NUMMI as a joint venture, refurbishing a shuttered GM plant to produce Toyota and GM vehicles.  GM used their bankruptcy to walk away from NUMMI with the close of Pontiac.