Tesla Modifier Obrist Files for Bankruptcy
Austrian engineering firm Obrist, known for its gas-powered range extenders for Tesla vehicles, has filed for bankruptcy after more than a decade of development.
Obrist, an Austrian engineering firm known for modifying Tesla vehicles with gas-powered range extenders, has filed for bankruptcy. The company spent over a decade attempting to bring its HyperHybrid technology to market.
The company's two Austrian subsidiaries and its German sales arm are insolvent, with combined debts totaling approximately €31.8 million, or about $37 million, according to industry publication Electrek.
Obrist Powertrain GmbH and Obrist Technologies GmbH, both based in Lustenau, Austria, filed for bankruptcy in late September. Obrist Powertrain, the unit responsible for the HyperHybrid system, owed approximately €18.85 million ($21.9 million) to 34 creditors and had been reduced to nine employees by the time of the filing.
Obrist Technologies, which held patents for methanol production and carbon capture technology, owes about €6.08 million ($7.1 million) to 10 creditors and has no remaining employees. The group's German sales unit, Obrist DE, is also insolvent with liabilities of approximately €6.8 million ($7.9 million).
The companies informed the court that neither restructuring nor continued operations were feasible and agreed to an immediate shutdown.