Sometimes you read an accusation of a fact so harsh, but at the same time of such low reward, that it is almost impossible to take it literally. That’s the situation with a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California last month. If you Trust the Word of the Brithem LLP Law FirmA nonprofit organization established by Toyota called the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), run by Toyota executives, allegedly stole secrets from a Based in MauritiusZimbabwean-operated electric tricycle company, and delivered them to a company in another part of the African continent so that company could make a profit while Toyota (supposedly) burnished its do-gooder image.
According to the New York TimesThe plaintiff, Mobility for Africa, is the creator of an electric tricycle called Hamba, a slow-moving three-wheeled tricycle with a range of 60 miles, ideal for transporting agricultural products over dirt roads from homes to markets. The company is led by Shantha Bloemen, based in South Africa.
Bloeman told the Times that his company has just 300 Hambas. Mobility for Africa provides charging infrastructure and rents out tricycles, ideally, apparently, to women. A Hamba has a truck-style bed “that can carry 400 kilograms (approximately 880 pounds) of cargo and a bench designed for women who wear skirts.”
The TMF became interested, according to the Times, and “created a pilot program in Kenya that used the Mobility for Africa model and described the program as a partnership with Ms. Bloemen’s organization, according to the lawsuit.”
But Bloeman now claims that TMF also secretly provided Los Angeles-based Exa Innovation Studio with the intellectual property behind Hambas, which allegedly allowed it to form another company in Kenya: Songa Mobility, which effectively makes electric tricycles with bench seats and van-style beds.
The Times quotes the lawsuit as saying: “The commercialized Songa Mobility solution is virtually identical to the (Mobility for Africa) program developed and shared (with Exa).”
The Times says that, according to the text of the lawsuit, Mobility for Africa had a contract with TMF that specifically retained its intellectual property and prohibited Toyota from sharing it with other entities. It also says the TMF’s actions have allegedly made it difficult for Mobility for Africa to raise funds and fulfill its plans to expand beyond Zimbabwe.
It should be noted that all of these electric tricycles are, at least visually, similar to economical vehicles that are widely available from suppliers in China.
The Toyota Mobility Foundation told the New York Times it was “aware of this matter and is investigating” and declined further requests for comment.
