Tesla Sued For $2 Billion By Nikola Motors Over Tesla Semi Design

A company called Nikola Motors has filed a massive suit against Tesla over the design of the electric Tesla Semi. Nikola Motors is seeking as much as $2 billion in damages.

The suit claims that the Tesla Semi infringes on three specific design patents that Nikola Motors obtained for its Nikola One truck that was first seen in 2016. Tesla unveiled its Semi in 2017. The first of the complaints in the suit has to do with the curved face of the truck, which happens to look a lot like all other big rigs on the road to my eyes.

The next complaint in the suit is that Tesla used a wraparound windshield in its Semi. Nikola now claims to hold a patent on that design element. The third complaint is that Tesla uses a mid-entry door, something Nikola Motors features on its truck as well.

According to Nikola Motors, Tesla's use of these three design elements has taken orders that it would have received. The estimated damages according to Nikola are $2 billion. Nikola Motors maintains that the design of the Telsa Semi has caused confusion among customers.

Nikola has the arguably better-looking truck, but it was never going to rack up the sort of sales Tesla is because of name recognition. The suit also mentions battery fires and fatal accidents related to autonomous features that the market attributes to them that are actually issues with Tesla.

SOURCE: Electrek