Casper Benteler’s Business Dispute puts $100 million Lyft Deal in Doubt

Lyft’s recently announced collaboration with Benteler has been thrown into doubt after a legal claim from former Benteler partner Beep. Beep allege that Casper Benteler, a young heir to the Benteler Group, defaulted on repaying Beep’s $30 million loan on a similar autonomous EV project and that Benteler are violating an exclusivity agreement by going ahead with their plans with Lyft.

In July, Lyft and Benteler Mobility announced plans to bring Holon’s self-driving shuttles to U.S. cities from 2026, with plans for a $100 million investment in a Jacksonville factory.

But since that announcement, Benteler’s former business partner, Beep, filed a lawsuit accusing Benteler and its related entity CAB Holding GmbH of breaching a 2024 “Alliance Agreement.” Both companies are controlled by Casper Benteler, heir to the multibillion-euro Benteler Group.

The 2024 agreement between Benteler and Beep was meant to fund and build Holon Motors’ U.S. operations in Jacksonville, Florida, and bring its autonomous “Holon Mover” vehicles to market. Beep alleges that none of its $30 million advance was used for the promised manufacturing venture and that Benteler went on to strike a rival deal with Lyft, excluding Beep in violation of an exclusivity clause.

Court documents portray what Beep calls an “under-handed scheme” directed by Casper Benteler himself. The complaint alleges that the 42-year-old, embroiled in a long-running feud over control of the Benteler Group, sought quick liquidity and used Beep’s funds to bolster his personal position rather than develop Holon’s U.S. business.

Beep claims that Benteler personally guaranteed repayment of the $30 million, only to substitute his Liechtenstein-registered CAB Holding as guarantor while pursuing what he described to Beep executives as a “sweetheart” deal to buy out relatives and consolidate his grip on the family empire.

Court filings show that the 2024 Alliance Agreement between Beep and BTI set a series of milestones – including securing U.S. manufacturing space by November 2024 and delivering prototype shuttles by May 2025.

According to the filing, Holon never purchased or leased land for the Jacksonville plant, missed every key milestone, and failed to deliver prototype vehicles due in May 2025. Casper Benteler’s CAB Holding allegedly ignored formal payment demands once Benteler defaulted.

The dispute lands just as Benteler seeks to recast itself from a traditional components maker into a supplier of autonomous and electric platforms. Its Holon unit announced plans with Lyft in July to deploy self-driving shuttles in U.S. cities from 2026 – a venture which now appears to be in breach of Benteler’s agreement with Beep.

Partnerships in autonomous mobility are built on confidence that the parties can deliver complex, capital-intensive projects over many years. The alleged breach of the non-compete agreement with Beep and breach of contract at this scale raises significant questions for Lfyt and other Benteler collaborators.