Tesla has taken legal action against startup EVject, filing a lawsuit in federal court for false advertising, trademark dilution, and unlawful trade practices around EVject’s product, the Escape Connector, a charger adapter that Tesla alleges poses a significant safety risk to owners.
The EVject Escape Connector, first launched in early 2023, is marketed as a safety tool designed to allow Tesla drivers to quickly disconnect their car from a charging station and drive away, even if they are still plugged into a fast charger. This feature is touted as a means of protecting drivers from potential carjackings and other pontentially dangerous situations where you need to get away quickly.
However, Tesla’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this week, says the product poses its own safety risk to owners.
In its complaint, Tesla highlights a critical safety concern with the Escape Connector, claiming that the adapter can reach dangerously high temperatures during charging. Specifically, Tesla’s testing found that the surface temperature of the Escape Connector could reach up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) after 30 minutes of charging.
This extreme heat, Tesla argues, not only poses a burn risk to users but also presents a fire hazard, threatening both the vehicle and the surrounding Supercharger infrastructure.
Tesla’s legal filing states, “In the event of an over-temperature condition in the Connector, the lack of overtemperature protection creates a safety risk. During an over-temperature event, a user of the Connector may be burned during (or following) charging by touching or grabbing the Connector. Additionally, the high temperature present in the Connector poses a risk of fire and ignition of other combustible materials in the charger cable, the vehicle connected to the Connector, and the Supercharger infrastructure.” (via Jalopnik)
The lawsuit further accuses EVject of false advertising, arguing that the company has misled consumers by marketing the Escape Connector as a safe and reliable product. Tesla contends that EVject’s advertising, which emphasizes the adapter’s compatibility with DC fast charging and its supposed ability to work seamlessly with Tesla vehicles, has damaged Tesla’s brand and reputation.
Tesla is seeking a court order to prevent EVject from continuing to advertise the Escape Connector as safe, to ban the importation of the product into the United States, and to require EVject to pay damages of no less than US$75,000. The actual amount of damages would be determined during the trial, should the case proceed to that stage.
This is the third time Tesla has come out to protect its owners and Supercharging infrastructure in recent weeks. Most recently the company took to X last week to warn against using a wet towel to trick the temperature sensors in the Supercharger handle to think its cooler than it is, and deliver faster charging speeds as a result.
Tesla also sued a Chinese company to prevent its NACS adapter from being sold in the US, also due to the dangers it posed to both owners and Supercharger infrastructure.
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