Gurugram-based Tesla Power India on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that it has written to its vendors and partners for removal of the Tesla marks on electric scooters after US electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc objected to it.
It also assured the court that it will fully abide by its undertaking that it had no plans to enter the electric vehicle market. “We don’t wish to sell anything beyond the undertaking,” the Gurugram company said, adding that emails were sent to all its franchises against selling anything under the company’s brand.
The HC on Tuesday had asked Tesla Power to file an affidavit on the number of electric scooters sold and the current stocks available with them after Tesla Inc alleged the Gurugram firm of selling electric vehicle scooters through dealers under various sub-brands even after giving an undertaking to the HC.
However, Tesla Inc reiterated that Tesla Power was still in violation of its undertaking as it is yet to write to its dealers.
Justice Anish Dayal asked Tesla Power to take further steps to ensure that the undertaking given by it was complied with and posted the matter for further hearing on July 4.
On May 2, the court had directed the Indian company not to issue any promotional advertisements featuring electric vehicle products with the ‘Tesla’ brand until the next date of hearing. Tesla Inc said that an independent investigation has shown images of electric scooters that were available for sale.
Photographs and brochures of the electric vehicle have been put on record, it added.
The Tesla Power counsel on May 2 had argued that the company was not manufacturing EV batteries but rather selling lead acid batteries used in conventional vehicles and inverters.
Kavinder Khurana, chairman of Tesla Power India, who was then personally present in the court, had submitted that it would not be manufacturing or marketing its EV under the Tesla brand, but it had a partnership firm in the US.
It had no plans to enter the EV market, he said, while clarifying that the advertisement featuring the Tesla trademark was related to another company, e-Ashwa, with whom Tesla Power has a strategic partnership to sell branded products.
According to Khurana, Tesla Power had been in business for years and has over a million customers in India.
