Tesla sues rival car maker Rivian and three employees over trade secrets

Tesla is suing electric pickup rival Rivian and three former Tesla employees for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to the production of electric vehicles.<br><br>Rivian has raised billions of dollars - including from Tesla investors - as it tries to bring out a line of electric vehicles. The company's R1T pickup is the closest competitor to Tesla's upcoming Cybertruck. The other vehicle expected soon is the R1S, a passenger SUV.<br><br>The lawsuit, which is posted online, calls Rivian "a knowing beneficiary" of the allegedly stolen trade secrets. It claims that since August 2019, at least 70 former Tesla employees have joined Rivian. Furthermore, it lists several Tesla trade secrets that were allegedly stolen and shared with Rivian employees.<br><br>The three former Tesla employees named in the suit are Kim Wong (who moved to Rivian this month, according to her LinkedIn profile), Taison Mak (who moved to Rivian in December 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile) and Beyta Dinbilek (who moved to Rivian in October 2019, according to LinkedIn).<br><br>CNBC reached out to Rivian for comment on the matter. A spokesperson for the company sent this statement:<br><br>"We're pleased that the Court has already indicated its skepticism about this case, and we look forward to continuing to show - in a court of law - that these claims of alleged misappropriation have absolutely no merit. On the broader topic of employees, we know that individuals from many industries and companies apply to Rivian’s open positions because our team’s groundbreaking, innovative work is well known and inspires people with its potential to create positive change for the planet. We acknowledge the ongoing proceedings but are confident in our hiring practices. We celebrate fair competition and also recognize the many talent acquisition channels that we all use in the modern hiring market."<br><br>EFE