California-based electric vehicle (EV) startup, Harbinger Motors, has filed a motion to dismiss a complaint against it by EV manufacturer Canoo Technologies. Canoo had accused Harbinger of stealing its trade secrets, including its skateboard electric vehicle architecture, when it announced its creation in September 2023.
Harbinger has denied the accusation, with a spokesperson saying that Canoo’s complaint was “rife with false and misleading statements and accusations”.
The startup has now filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, citing Canoo’s failure to adequately plead any wrongful conduct by Harbinger as set out in the complaint. The company has also emphasized its focus on electrifying the commercial vehicle industry and its attempts to settle the dispute.
See also: Canoo Accuses Former Employees of Corporate Espionage in Lawsuit Over Stolen Trade Secrets
Harbinger Motors was founded by former executives from EV companies including Faraday Future, QuantumScape, and Canoo, among others.
Among its high-ranking executives are Michael Fielkow, Canoo’s former vice president of corporate legal, securities, and global strategies; Phillip Weicker, Canoo’s head of powertrain and electronics and one of its co-founders; William Eberts, a program manager for battery, powertrain, and power electronics at Canoo; and Alexi Charbonneau, Canoo’s former head of Skateboard and Cabin, and one of Canoo’s co-founders.
Canoo remains confident of its allegations and claims against Harbinger, and the case has been filed with prejudice in U.S. District Court in California.
