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Tesla has taken legal action against its own parts supplier, Angstrom Automotive Group, to force the release of critical manufacturing equipment needed for Cybertruck production. The emergency lawsuit, filed July 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, seeks immediate access to specialized tooling that the automaker says is essential to build its angular electric pickup truck.
According to court documents reviewed by multiple outlets, Tesla claims Angstrom—which acquired longtime partner Anderton Castings—shut down its Troy, Texas facility on July 13 and refused Tesla’s requests to retrieve tooling including large die-cast machines, trim dies, fixtures, cutting tools, gauges, and X-ray inspection gear. The supplier then allegedly demanded $250,000 per week to keep the plant running, plus compensation for earlier tool modifications.
“Without the Tooling, Tesla will be unable to manufacture several thousand Cybertrucks that are currently in or planned for production, most, if not all, of which are already committed to customers,” the complaint states. Tesla is not seeking monetary damages at this stage—only a court order to regain possession of its property.
The dispute escalated rapidly. Tesla says it sent representatives with law enforcement to the Troy plant on or around July 20, but they were locked out. The company also claims Angstrom failed to deliver 700 finished parts promised by July 17. Tesla’s on-hand part supply, the automaker warned, is “dwindling and will be exhausted in mere days.”
Industry analysts note that Cybertruck output has been ramping up slowly since its late 2023 launch, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously citing “enormous challenges” in manufacturing the stainless-steel body and gigacast components. Any disruption to the die-cast supply chain could set back production targets by weeks. “This isn’t just a legal squabble; it’s a live-or-die bottleneck for Tesla’s newest vehicle line,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.
Angstrom Automotive Group, based in Michigan, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company specializes in high-pressure die-casting and has supplied automotive OEMs for decades. Its acquisition of Anderton Castings in 2021 was seen as a consolidation move in the die-casting sector.
Court records show a hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Tesla is pressing for an expedited ruling. Meanwhile, the company is reportedly exploring alternative suppliers for the same components, though tooling lead times typically run three to six months.
This is not Tesla’s first legal confrontation with a supplier. In 2021, the automaker sued a German supplier over seat delivery delays during Model Y production. The Cybertruck, however, carries far more strategic weight—it is Tesla’s entry into the high-volume pickup truck market, where Ford and GM dominate.
For now, the next thousand Cybertrucks hang in the balance. If Tesla cannot retrieve its dies and machinery soon, customers who placed deposits years ago may face even longer waits. The case is Tesla, Inc. v. Angstrom Automotive Group, LLC, case number 6:24-cv-00510, in the Western District of Texas.
Updated July 30, 2024: Tesla confirmed it has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order. Angstrom has not yet filed a response.
