Tesla has filed a lawsuit in Texas federal court against the Australian company Cap-XX, alleging that Cap-XX’s super-capacitors violate two US patents held by a Tesla subsidiary. These super-capacitors are used to store energy in the batteries of electric vehicles (EVs).
The legal action comes as a response to a claim of patent infringement that Cap-XX had previously brought against Tesla subsidiary Maxwell Technologies in 2019. Tesla acquired Maxwell in the same year, and now, it claims that the lawsuit against Cap-XX is to protect its intellectual property rights, as Maxwell’s patents are now assigned to Tesla.
The super-capacitor electrodes are at the center of the dispute. Tesla refers to these electrodes as the “primary source of the device’s power capabilities,” and it alleges that Cap-XX’s super-capacitor electrodes function similarly to Maxwell’s patented technology.
In 2014, Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, had promised not to file patent lawsuits against those who, in good faith, want to use Tesla’s technology. However, the current legal action is deemed necessary by Tesla to defend its intellectual property rights.
Both Tesla and Cap-XX have not yet provided immediate comments regarding the lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Tesla seeks unspecified monetary damages from the court.
It’s worth noting that Cap-XX is not only facing legal action from Tesla but also suing Maxwell in Delaware federal court for allegedly violating its own super-capacitor patents.