PARIS: The biggest taxi firm in Paris said Dec 14 it was suspending the use of Model 3 Teslas in its fleet after a fatal accident in the French capital at the weekend.

A driver lost control of his Tesla on Dec 11 night in the southeastern 13th district of Paris, killing one person and injuring 20, with three people fighting for their lives in intensive care.

Paris prosecutors on Dec 11 opened an investigation into charges of manslaughter and unintentional injuries.

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 its 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 program, which can steer, brake and accelerate a vehicle on its own.

 - AFP