Nikola founder was suspected of buying a hydrogen truck project from a Croatian designer
The founder of Nikola Motor electric truck manufacturer Trevor Milton, considered a competitor to the American Tesla Elon Musk, bought the design of the flagship truck from a specialist from Croatia, writes the Financial Times (FT), citing sources.
As the publication clarifies, Nikola previously stated that the design of the hydrogen truck was developed by Milton in the basement of his own house.
In a lawsuit against automaker Tesla in 2018, the company alleged that Milton began work on the design of the Nikola One truck in 2013. Nikola has also accused Tesla of stealing design patents for the truck's cab when creating the Tesla Semi electric tractor unit, writes FT.
In a retaliatory lawsuit filed on September 23 this year, Elon Musk's company said that Nikola's design was based on a Croatian designer's Road Runner truck concept. Tesla claims that Trevor Milton met Adriano Mudri “in 2014 and /or 2015,” and Nikola's patented design is largely based on Mudri's concept.
According to FT sources, Milton did offer Mudry cooperation on a number of projects, but was refused. During the visit of the entrepreneur to the headquarters of the Rimac company, where the Croatian designer worked, Milton bought a drawing and a 3D model of a futuristic Road Runner truck from him for several thousand dollars, the sources said. The Road Runner even became the unofficial name for the Nikola truck project, a source close to production told the FT.
Nikola, in response to a request from the FT, said that the Nikola One project was developed and patented by the company. She clarified that early on Nikola did acquire a license for Mudri's projects, but insists that the final product differs significantly from its design. Milton's representatives declined to comment.
Earlier, on September 21, the founder of Nikola left the company due to accusations of defrauding investors. One of Nikola's shareholders, Hindenburg Research, said Milton had "repeatedly defrauded customers, partners and investors." So, in 2018, Nikola showed a truck in a commercial that allegedly runs on hydrogen fuel, while in fact the car was simply rolled down a hill, the shareholder said. The company also claimed to have "extensive evidence" that Nikola's proprietary technology was purchased from another company.
Following the announcement of his resignation, Trevor Milton tweeted that he "intends to defend himself against false accusations" brought against him by "ill-wishers".