When Tesla Motors went public earlier this month, Toyota purchased $50 million in new stocks from the company.  That was part of a deal agreed to before the IPO.  Tesla then turned around and gave $42 million back to Toyota to buy the NUMMI plant in which the electric car company plans to build it’s upcoming Model S sedan.

Now Reuters and other services are announcing that Tesla and Toyota have penned an agreement and that Tesla will be delivering two electric cars to Toyota by the end of July.  No, not two prototypes or designs, two actual cars.  It would seem obvious that they will be Roadsters, but instead they are apparently prototype conversions of an unspecified Toyota model combined with a Tesla electric power train.  My guess?  Prius models.  Just a guess, though.

This is probably a trial not for the conversions themselves, but as a way for Toyota to test li-ion battery tech from a different source – likely for the Prius and other intended EVs.  Much as Daimler has agreements with Tesla to purchase batteries, Toyota may be getting the same idea.  This makes sense given the upcoming North American release of the Plug-in Prius in a couple of years along with a small all electric car planned for 2012.

Having a battery supplier in the U.S. could allow Toyota to more easily ship and fit EVs for the American markets.  Toyota has already been exploring alternatives to its current NiMH batteries in the Prius.

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