A Prague company that holds the TESLA name inherited from Czechoslovakia's state electronics maker has opposed three of Tesla, Inc.'s trademark applications in the European Union, records at the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) show. The applications are TESLA TERAFAB, for semiconductor chips, and POWERED BY TESLA and FOR BESS POWERED BY TESLA, for batteries and energy storage. Tesla Mag first reported the filings on 7 November 2026.
The opponent in all three cases is TESLA Holding a.s. It cites two grounds: likelihood of confusion, and unfair advantage taken of, or detriment to, the distinctiveness or reputation of an earlier mark. The register does not say which earlier marks it relies on.
Three applications, opposed on the last day
| Application | EUIPO no. | Filed by Tesla | What it covers | Opposed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TESLA TERAFAB | 019367591 | 20 May 2026 | Semiconductor and memory chips, plus their manufacture, delivery and design (classes 9, 39, 40, 42) | 15 Oct 2026 |
| POWERED BY TESLA | 019318451 | 17 Feb 2026 | Batteries, energy storage systems and their control software; battery charging, installation and maintenance (classes 9, 37) | 5 Aug 2026 |
| FOR BESS POWERED BY TESLA | 019318429 | 17 Feb 2026 | The same goods and services as POWERED BY TESLA | 5 Aug 2026 |
Each opposition was filed on the final day of the three-month window that opens when an application is published in the EU trademark bulletin. All three applications now have the status "Application opposed". None is registered or refused while the case runs, and the two companies remain free to settle before the office decides.
A fourth application has not been challenged so far. TERAFAB on its own, filed on 17 August 2026 for merchandise such as clothing, mugs, bags, stickers, model cars and toy robots, was published on 26 October. Its opposition window runs until 26 January 2027.
The two Teslas have met before
This is not the Czech company's first challenge. Novinky.cz reported in December 2010 that TESLA Holding had opposed Tesla Motors' EU trademark application in 2007 and again in 2010, then withdrew after talks. Tesla Motors said at the time that it had modified its application to address the Czech firm's objections. TESLA Holding's chief executive, Robert Němec, said the change reflected the two companies' different business focus.
The Czech name goes back to TESLA, the national electronics enterprise founded in 1946, which made everything from radios and televisions to radar. According to its Czech Wikipedia entry, its successor TESLA a.s., which shares TESLA Holding's address in Prague-Vysočany, now makes radio-communication and security equipment. It licenses the TESLA trademark to other Czech and Slovak firms, which sell TESLA-branded consumer electronics and, since 2015, batteries.
What is at stake for Tesla in Europe
The disputed names cover two of Tesla's growth businesses. Terafab is the chip plant Tesla and SpaceX are planning in Grimes County, Texas, to make AI chips for Tesla's cars and Optimus robots. In the United States the name is already the subject of a declaratory-judgment suit against a laboratory-printer maker. POWERED BY TESLA covers the battery and storage side, from home systems to grid-scale installations.
The oppositions do not stop Tesla from selling anything in Europe. They hold up EU-wide registration of these three marks. Last time, the dispute ended with Tesla narrowing its application, not with a ruling.