Tesla hit with lawsuit

“It’s patently obvious there is no merit to this lawsuit,” a spokesperson for Tesla told The Verge. 

A representative for Nikola Motors said in a statement to The Verge that “[w]e are not commenting because it is in the courts. The lawsuit speaks for itself.”

Nikola was founded in 2014, and the company showed off its first a hydrogen-electric semi truck in May 2016. 

The complaint filed by Nikola lays out a number of claims that viewed together, the company says prove Tesla copied from the startup’s patents. Nikola points to the trucks’ front fenders, wraparound windshields, mid-entry doors, aerodynamic fuselage for similarities.

Nikola also claims that a recruiter for Tesla, Aaron Hoyos, tried to poach Nikola’s chief engineer just a few months after the startup unveiled its hydrogen semi truck and that this is evidence that Tesla was aware of Nikola’s unique design features.

Nikola says that Tesla’s truck is causing “confusion in the market,” and claims that “Tesla’s infringement has harmed Nikola’s ability to attract investors and partners because investors can now partner with Tesla to have an alternative fuel semi-truck.”

Nikola announced that it will refund all current reservation-holders’ deposits, without changing their place in line for its hydrogen fuel-cell semi trucks.

The company said deposits would be refunded within 60 days, and noted that “we have never used a dollar of deposit money in the history of our company.” New reservations won’t require a deposit, the company said.