Daimler got that 10% stake in Tesla that was announced today for $50 million, says a source with knowledge of the deal. They’ve actually taken 9% (they announced “nearly 10 percent” and the post money valuation is $550 million. Our source also says that Tesla’s application for $350 million in federal loans has been informally approved and will also be announced shortly.

That’s not too shabby for a company that was down to just $9 million in cash late last year. The company has also recently said that 1,000 preorders for the new Model S sedan have been received. Over 500 were reserved in the first week after it was unveiled.

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