A lawsuit by Wisk, partly owned by the Google co-founder Larry Page, says two engineers took sensitive files and data before joining Archer.
Nio can tap an extensive supply chain that Beijing has built to achieve its dream of dominating the manufacture of electric cars.
Carmakers, government agencies and investors are pouring money into battery research in a global race to profit from emission-free electric cars.
Rivian, which has raised another $2.65 billion, plans to sell a pickup truck and S.U.V. it has worked on for more than a decade.
Investors are betting that small companies like Workhorse will help popularize electric commercial vehicles. And Tesla aims to extend its reach.