Tesla sues, Fiskers Karma catches up with them?

The two leaders in high-end electric sports car technology are now going head to head in the courtroom.

Tesla says Fisker heads, Henrik Fisker and Bernhard Koehler, not only stole their hybrid design ideas while working for the company, but allege that Henrik – hired to style their new sedan, the Tesla White Star – turned over a purposefully substandard design in order to get a leg up once the companies were in competition.

Paid almost $1,000,000 for the bunk job, Fisker used that money to help start Fisker Coachbuild.

Tesla’s claims:

* The bad design set back their production schedule for the company’s lower-cost luxury sedan.

* Fisker and Koehler stole hybrid trade secrets and used them to design the Fisker Karma.

* Fisker knowingly did a bad job to make their product less popular.

If the case is decided in Tesla’s favor, in my opinion, it may be enough to bury Fisker. That’s one reason I’m not sure I believe it all. Why would someone who makes his living designing cars for other companies go out of his way to do a bad job? Why would he steal trade secrets if he depends on the trust of other companies to pay his bills?

It’s an unfortunate case either way, but I look forward to reading all the juicy details. ;p

[image: Tesla]