Tesla is suing its supplier, Angstrom Automotive Group, in order to gain emergency access to tools needed to produce the Cybertruck, according to a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The lawsuit, which was first reported on by Bloomberg, was initially filed on July 23 and focuses on a key piece of machinery used to manufacture the angular electric pickup.
The initial complaint filed by Tesla claims that the supplier has refused to provide access to large die-cast machinery, trim dies, fixtures, cutting tools, gauges, and X-ray inspection gear required to build the electric pickup. However, Tesla isn’t seeking damages at the moment; instead, the Texas-based EV manufacturer is simply asking for access to the machinery to continue Cybertruck production.
View Price on Amazon“Tesla requests the Court to grant it one thing: retrieval of Tesla’s Tooling. It does not seek to litigate any other disputes between the parties,” Tesla’s initial complaint reads. “Without the Tooling, Tesla will be unable to manufacture several thousand Cybertrucks that are currently in or planned for production, most, if not all, of which are already committed to customers.”
According to the filing, Tesla had previously contracted with supplier Anderton Castings for years before its purchase by the Angstrom Automotive Group. All parties maintained their business relationship until July 13, when Angstrom Automotive Group allegedly informed Tesla that it would be closing its Troy, Texas, facility. Tesla claims that the supplier group initially refused to cooperate with proposed plans to retrieve Cybertruck tooling; Angstrom Automotive Group then allegedly demanded compensation for modifications to the tooling and asked for $250,000 a week to continue operating the facility.
A week later, Tesla representatives accompanied by law enforcement officials arrived at the Troy facility to retrieve their tools, but were denied access to the plant, according to Bloomberg. Tesla also claims that the supply group did not ship 700 finished parts that were promised by July 17. The complaint paints Tesla’s position as precarious, as the automaker claimed that no other supplier is equipped to make these parts at the moment. Additionally, Tesla said that its on-hand part supply is “dwindling and will be exhausted in mere days” in the initial complaint. Either way, Cybertruck production could be delayed.
Source: roadandtrack.com
