Tesla taxi crash in Paris leaves one dead and 20 injured

A taxi firm in Paris has suspended the use of Tesla Model 3 cars in its fleet following a crash involving one of the vehicles. An investigation has been launched into the Tesla taxi crash by French police after a car reportedly collided with a cyclist, three pedestrians and a van.

G7, which has 37 of the Tesla vehicles under its name, has said it will halt its usage until the investigation is complete. Sources have said three people remain in hospital in a serious condition, reports Sky News. The French Transport Minister, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, said on Wednesday 15 December that there was currently no suggestion that a technical problem was to blame for the incident.

The minister told RMC radio he had spoken with the chief executive of Tesla Europe, who he said had told him there had been no safety alerts about that model. Tesla has not responded to requests for comment – but the US group has indicated it would share details with the French authorities if any requests were made.

Yann Ricordel, the deputy chief executive at G7, said the driver was off duty when the accident happened and was taking his family to a restaurant. According to the driver, he tried to brake but the car accelerated instead. It was unclear if the car was in autopilot mode during the Tesla taxi crash..

Mr Ricordel said: “We will maintain the suspension of the Tesla Model 3 while the investigation is ongoing, as a safety measure for our drivers, customers and other road users”. An initial inquiry had ruled out a technical error, and Tesla collects detailed data from sensors and cameras it has installed on its cars. It has used this data before when faced with lawsuits claiming accidents were the results of malfunctioning technology.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.