They installed a gasoline engine in the Tesla. Now the companies in the Obrist group are going bankrupt.
Obrist wanted to succeed with a Tesla equipped with a gasoline generator. Three companies in the group are now facing insolvency and owe approximately 31.8 million euros.
The hybrid Tesla never made it to series production
The Austrian Obrist group drew attention for its unusual modification of the Tesla Model 3. It replaced the original battery with a significantly smaller one and added a gasoline engine under the front hood. This engine served as a generator to power the electric drive system.
The prototype unveiled in 2020 used a battery with a capacity of 17.3 kWh and a two-cylinder generator with an output of 40 kW. Obrist promised a combined range of around a thousand kilometers and claimed that its solution could significantly reduce the car’s price.
The company stated at the time that it had licensed the HyperHybrid technology to an unnamed foreign partner. Series-produced vehicles were supposed to arrive by 2023. However, the project never progressed to mass production despite the prototypes shown.
Three companies have million-euro debts
The financial problems affect Obrist Powertrain, Obrist Technologies, and the German company Obrist DE. According to Austria’s ORF, their combined debts amount to approximately 31.8 million euros. The three firms employed a total of 14 people.
The district court in Feldkirch initiated proceedings against the two Austrian companies on September 30, 2026. The companies themselves filed for bankruptcy. According to the creditors’ association AKV, they consider neither continuation nor restructuring possible and have agreed to immediate closure.
Obrist Powertrain has the largest debts, at around 18.85 million euros. Obrist Technologies owes an additional 6.08 million euros. The German company Obrist DE, according to ORF, has debts of about 6.8 million euros.
Development consumed funds, no breakthrough
Founder Frank Obrist attributes the problems to high development costs, lack of revenue, and unsuccessful negotiations with investors. AKV also mentions insufficient market adoption of the technologies and the ongoing crisis in Europe’s automotive industry.
The group’s ambitions have grown over time. In addition to hybrid propulsion, it presented a prototype of the Model Y using synthetic methanol. This was followed by plans to produce this fuel on a large scale, aiming to create more applications for its technology.
Obrist Engineering is not affected by insolvencies. The company, with around 30 employees, develops components for vehicle air conditioning and temperature control, among other things. According to the founder, it remains financially stable and continues operating.
Sources:
Original text / Elektrickevozy.cz
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