For those who’ve been following the development of the all-electric car from Tesla…

…Tesla says it hired Fisker Automotive and CEO Henrik Fisker to work on a future Tesla model called internally its WhiteStar project, designed to be Tesla’s second model. Its first, the high-performance, battery-powered Tesla Roadster, is scheduled to go on sale in late 2008 — if the $98,000 Roadster is ready on time, after several delays.

Imagine Tesla’s surprise, according to the lawsuit, when Fisker, a former designer for BMW AG, announced at a Jan. 14 press conference at the Detroit auto show that he will introduce his own high-performance, battery-powered car, called the Fisker Karma, starting around $80,000, starting in 2009.

According to Tesla’s complaint, “The Karma has great similarities to the WhiteStar and will be a direct competitor to the WhiteStar in the marketplace.”