Your Karma Ran Over My Tesla
It’s a Sturm und Drang race in the electric car world.
Electric-car start-up Tesla Motors is suing rival Fisker Coachbuild, charging that its founder Henrik Fisker stole valuable company design ideas and trade secrets. Along with his partner, Bernhard Koehler, Fisker was hired by Tesla to design the company’s oft-delayed plug-in electric-powered White Star hybrid sedan.
Tesla claims Fisker sabotaged the White Star project by purposely drafting a sub-par design that set it back three to six months, then stole proprietary Tesla technology and used it to build a competing car–the Fisker Karma. Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show this past January, the $80,000 Karma is scheduled to arrive at market in late 2009. Because of the production delays allegedly caused by Fisker’s designs, the White Star won’t arrive until 2010.
Said Tesla attorney Adam C. Belsky, “I think it’s ironic that Fisker chose to name his car the Karma, when what he’s done is very bad karma.” A Fisker spokesman says the company has no comment on the lawsuit.
