Paris taxi company suspending use of Teslas after fatal accident

Paris’s top taxi company has banned Tesla Model 3 cars from its fleet after a fatal accident over the weekend. 

On Saturday, an off-duty G7 taxi driver was en route to a restaurant with his family when a collision killed one person and injured 20 others, Reuters reported. 

It was not apparent if the car’s autopilot mode was activated at the time of the crash, but local French media said that the vehicle hit a cyclist and three pedestrians before crashing into a van. Several of the injuries from the incident were serious, according to Reuters. 

G7 Deputy Chief Executive Yann Ricordel reportedly said while Tesla conducted an initial inquiry that indicated the vehicle did not malfunction, it apparently accelerated when the driver tried to brake. 

“Today, we have two divergent views on the subject. 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,” Ricordel said.

While G7 awaits the results of a police investigation into the matter, he reportedly added that taxi drivers who lose compensation as a result of the suspension would be paid in full for lost wages and that the company is looking into ways for the affected drivers to resume work quickly. 

Reuters added that G7 has 9,000 affiliated drivers who use vehicles they own for their work for the taxi company. Currently, roughly half of the company’s fleet is electric or hybrid, but it aims to make all its cars green by 2027.

The Hill has reached out to G7 and Tesla for comment.