Chinese Businessman Admits to Stealing U.S. Electric Vehicle Trade Secrets

Klaus Pflugbeil pleads guilty to corporate espionage, faces up to ten years in prison for jeopardizing national security.

Pflugbeil stole proprietary technology from a U.S. electric vehicle company to benefit his China-based business.
The espionage involved trade secrets from a Canadian manufacturer acquired by the U.S. company in 2019.
Co-conspirator Yilong Shao remains at large, while Pflugbeil awaits sentencing in October.
Undercover FBI agents exposed the conspiracy at a Las Vegas trade show in 2023.
The stolen technology provided a substantial competitive advantage in battery manufacturing.