Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Government/Legal, Green
Sparks fly: Fisker sues Tesla back
Click above for more Fisker-supplied spy shots of the Karma
Isn't it fitting that Fisker Automotive's upcoming series-hybrid sports sedan is named Karma?. After having commissioned Fisker to help design its second product, the Whitestar sedan, Tesla Motors sued Fisker claiming it stole trade secrets that were then used on the Karma.
Fisker will attempt to first derail Tesla's original lawsuit by seeking to have it moved from San Mateo, CA to Orange County, after which it will then try to prove that Tesla is attempting to divert attention away from its delayed all-electric Roadster by suing Fisker. To that end, Henrik Fisker himself called the whole mess "ridiculous" and referred to Tesla's behaviour as "sour grapes". An arbitrator will likely determine whether he's right or not, but until then we lowly consumers must await ramped up production of the Tesla Roadster and the eventual arrival of the Fisker Karma. Thanks for the tip, Doug!
Gallery: Fisker Karma - spy shots
[Source: CNET News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Seminole 1:33PM (5/14/2008)
While I hate sue happy companies, I think Tesla is right here.
They asked Fisker to design them a car, Fisker apparently does a half ass job, then Fisker who has had no previous electric car experience comes out with a model that blows whatever they gave Tesla away. Seems to me like Fisker was in it just to get the expertise that Telsa has and make their own car.
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tankd0g 2:23PM (5/14/2008)
I guess you have to overlook the fact that Fisker has been actually building cars since 2005, and that the Karma is a plug-in hybrid, not an EV, and that it's due out by 2010. Add all that up and at best Tesla looks like a bunch of idiots who can't make proper use of their own technoligy or at worst, have a completely baseless lawsuit.
Herkimer 2:33PM (5/14/2008)
Hi,
Can you please quantify "half ass job? I don't understand what you're trying to say.
The Tesla looks like sex on wheels...from an aesthetic standpoint, I greatly prefer it over the Karma. (Especially with that ridiculous grille on it.)
jake 2:49PM (5/14/2008)
Again don't draw conclusions here, that was the point of the article, goes for you too, tankd0g. NO ONE in the public has seen anything about the Whitestar yet so we don't even have a basis to judge.
@Herkimer
He was referring to the whitestar, which no one has seen yet, so I don't think he can really say that it was half assed.
Seminole 3:01PM (5/14/2008)
tankd0g,
Fisker has been modifying BMW's and Mercedes since 2005. They have never built an electric vehicle before, plug in or hybrid. They partner with Tesla to design a car, then suddenly seem to have some pretty advanced plug in tech that would take a normal company years to develop. I'm not saying they stole the entire system from Tesla, but I'm pretty sure they looked at it for a lot of ideas. Tell me how a tiny company who has never ventured into the EV market can design, build, and bring to market a brand new vehicle in under 3 years without a little help from somewhere.
Herkimer,
I was just stating what the lawsuit by Tesla alleges about the supposed Whitestar sedan they commissioned Fisker to design. I was not referring to the Roadster.
Jake,
I said "apparently does a half ass job". I was merely going based off what the lawsuit alleges. I haven't seen the car, but it was bad enough that Tesla feels the need to sue. I also left out a word in my original post, it should read "While I hate sue happy companies, I think Tesla is right here to sue." It seems to me like they have a legitimate case that should be tried and aren't suing just to sue.
tankd0g 3:56PM (5/14/2008)
Semi: The Karma has more in common with a BMW than it does a Tesla. It has an ICE. Unless Tesla is sitting on some super secret hybrid technology they have not said a god damn word about, which seems very unlikely since the entire company is built on hype, then this whole lawsuit is complete BS. Most of what Tesla had in the works when Henrik was working for them has already broken and had to be redesigned several times. If the Karma is based off those designs then it's going to be a monumental POS.
Tesla has three income streams:
1. Deposits from duped customers that may never see delivery
2. Lattes and T-Shirt sales at their electric car themed coffee shop.
3. Suing people.
Conspicuously absent: selling cars.
Level 7:04PM (5/14/2008)
Seminole
I'll tell you how Fisker design a plug in hybrid in less then 3 years, simple they hired someone else to do it...
"Q-DRIVE, a system developed by Quantum Technologies that combines a four-cylinder engine sending power to a generator to propel the four-door sedan."
http://www.qtww.com/
So where are the merits for a lawsuit??what technology was stolen? Fisker is not even producing the technology thats going to power the Karma.
Whats next??? Pininfarina is going to get sued by Volvo for designing a better design for a Ferrari then their Volvo C70??? Tesla has no case they are just a bunch of cry babies....Fisker has more experience in bringing a car to market then all the team at Tesla...
Farris 1:34PM (5/14/2008)
Gah. These two companies are going to ruin electric vehicles with all this litigation.
The sooner they realize that they are better off without suing each other, the better.
Maybe they should consolidate...
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lad 1:43PM (5/14/2008)
Agree! They may sue each other out of business. There is no value added by lawyers, they are pure and simple...an overhead cost!
Cole Mitguard 1:41PM (5/14/2008)
How the times have not teated Tesla well. All that they wanted to do was create a car that would inspire other manufacturers to build electric cars, and show people that electric cars could be viable alternatives to standard cars, and look good doing it. However, after their bloody restructure earlier this year, and now this, things just have to be looking rather gloomy over there.
Anyway, Im surprised that this is such a hard case. Fisker worked for Tesla.... then they come out with a car almost immediately after leaving the company. Didn't Tesla have some kind of non-competition agreement in their contract? If they didnt... some lawyer must have gotten the chop. Maybe I just dont understand this whole thing, but it seems obvious to me that something fishy was going on.
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CarlosMC 3:12PM (5/14/2008)
You mean, something Fisky ;)
Cole Mitguard 3:19PM (5/14/2008)
lol, yes, that was exactly what was on the tip of my tongue that I couldn't come up with...fisky
Hansen 4:30AM (5/19/2008)
Translation from Denmark:
The word "fisker" means "fishing" or "fisherman"
tanooki2003 1:42PM (5/14/2008)
Enough with all of this damn suing and politics! Just mass produce the freakin' product already.
Seriously it does not matter who started what, just deliver or I will have to just rely on Aptera.
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imoore 1:54PM (5/14/2008)
It really doesn't matter who sues who, we can't afford them anyway. I'll wait for the Think instead, it's more realistic.
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Jared 2:01PM (5/14/2008)
"it will then try to prove that Tesla is attempting to divert attention away from its delayed all-electric Roadster by suing Fisker."
Bingo! Give that man a cigar and whatever else he's claiming in the lawsuit.
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pacman 2:03PM (5/14/2008)
Who killed the electric car? Tesla
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Ray 2:11PM (5/14/2008)
Tesla is currently run by guys who are full of themselves...Elon Musk is an A-hole.
The original brains behind the Tesla as a car was ousted...
I have a feeling that Fisker is in the right. After all if Fisker was contracted to design a car and given design constrictions from Tesla, I doubt he would have sandbagged the design.
A designer always puts their heart into their own designs, regardless of who its for. Design is subjective and it looks like Tesla is just trying to stop any competition.
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psarhjinian 5:14PM (5/14/2008)
The original brains behind Tesla wasn't able to get the company's collective sh_t together to produce a salable product and was turfed for that reason. The people who've invested money in Tesla want return on investment; they didn't sign up to fund someone's private engineering plaything.
Telsa hadn't even gotten the roadster out the door before they were talking about the Whitestar sedan. Talking up your next project while failing to deliver your first is a good sign of directionless management.
Now, Musk hasn't done a whole lot better, but it remains to be seen if that's his fault, if he's trying to reign in the total lack of direction that preceded him, or if he's a stooge put in place by the VCs with the intention of winding Tesla down in hopes of selling their patent and intellectual property for profit.
halogenrepublic 2:33PM (5/14/2008)
Plug-in hybrid is not rocket science. Many small college-programs are making them with a few students.
BTW, if Fisker were hired by Tesla to design the body structure instead of the drive component, then how can they steal the battery cooling technology from Tesla?
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