Horrific Tesla Model 3 accident leaves 7 fighting for their lives; Elon Musk led firm reacts

The taxi firm said it was suspending the use of Tesla Model 3 cars in its fleet. Elon Musk led firm has reacted to the accident.

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk walks next to a screen showing an image of Tesla Model 3 car. (REUTERS)

The biggest taxi firm in Paris said Tuesday it was suspending the use of Tesla Model 3  cars in its fleet after a serious accident in the French capital at the weekend. A driver lost control of his Tesla on Saturday night in the southeastern 13th district of Paris, leaving seven people fighting for their lives in intensive care.

Given the speed and the trajectory of the vehicle, which struck multiple objects as it careened down the street, there were initially suspicions of a malfunction such as a stuck accelerator.

The G7 taxi company, which claims to be the biggest firm in Europe on its website, said 37 of drivers used the Tesla Model 3, and other Tesla models would remain in service.

After checking the crashed vehicle's data remotely, Tesla denied any technical problem with the car.

When contacted by AFP, the US group said it would share all details with French authorities if requested.

Tesla's safety record has been questioned in the past over a series of fatal accidents linked to its cars' Autopilot driver assistance programme, which can steer, brake and accelerate a vehicle on its own.

Tesla-Rivian Trade Secrets Fight Is Nudged Forward by Judge

(Bloomberg) Tesla Inc.'s slow-moving court fight with Rivian Automotive Inc. over allegations of talent poaching and technology theft got some new deadlines from a California judge.

Tesla has 30 days to produce all the documents it claims were stolen by several former employees who defected to its smaller electric vehicle rival, according to a tentative order issued Monday by a state court judge in San Jose. Following that disclosure, Rivian has 30 days to respond to Tesla's long-standing requests for pretrial information sharing, including details on what steps Rivian took to investigate and respond after the theft of trade secrets was alleged.

The companies have accused each other of foot-dragging after Tesla filed the suit in July 2020. Superior Court Judge Peter Manoukian said the deadlines he's imposing on both sides are “the best resolution for this important and interesting matter.”