Twitter Spat Escalates After Telsa Claims Chrysler Is No Longer An American Company And Never Fully Paid Debt

The Twitter messages are once again flying from Tesla Motors.

In a Wednesday announcement, the Palo Alto, Calif., automaker said it had paid off the entire loan made to the company by the Energy Department — and added that it was “the only American car company to have fully repaid the government.”

Within hours, Gualberto Ranieri, a senior vice president at Chrysler, responded on Chrysler’s blog: “The information is unmistakably incorrect. It’s pretty well-known that almost exactly two years ago – May 24, 2011 – Chrysler Group LLC repaid (in full and with interest) U.S. and Canadian government loans more than six years ahead of time.” Chrysler also responded via Twitter.
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bfghemicuda - 5/24/2013 12:00:27 PM

-2 Boost

Teslas comment go without merit. Second, Who really gives a crap.

vdiv - 5/24/2013 1:23:09 PM

-1 Boost

Agree, not sure why Tesla/Musk feel the need to ruffle up the feathers more than necessary. No need to be be that cocky. Chrysler and Audi apparently are the ones that do give a crap. Maybe they can respond with an all-electric Model S competitor instead.

Satriani1 - 5/24/2013 12:58:39 PM

0 Boost

No wonder Tesla's stock price almost tripled in the last two months, making rich people of its company executives who own stock. Tesla has been known to seek publicity with it's dubious comments and claims, e.g., when Tesla lost its lawsuit against Fisker.

In 2008, Tesla Motors filed a lawsuit against Fisker Automotive, alleging they stole Tesla's technology and are using it to develop their own hybrid car, the Fisker Karma. Tesla's suit claims that the design work done for the Model S by Fisker Coachbuild was substandard, and that Fisker diverted its best ideas to the Karma.

Tesla lost their lawsuit: in early 2009 the suit was settled in Fisker's favor and Tesla was ordered to pay Fisker more than US$1.1 million in legal fees.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisker_Automotive#Legal_dispute_with_Tesla_Motors

Agent009 - 5/24/2013 1:22:59 PM

+1 Boost

But Telsa is worth over a billion and Fisker has lost 90% of its value in the last 18 months.

ParadoX - 5/24/2013 4:40:51 PM

+3 Boost

He has a point. While Chrysler is headquartered in Michigan, it is a subsidiary of Fiat. So it is kind of a grey area. I don't think it is a bogus claim for an automaker to make especially considering how the big three play up their American roots while manufacturing elsewhere.