Tesla Sues BBC for Libel re 'Top Gear' Segment in Which Electric Supercar Seems to Run Out of Juice
The manufacturer of the electric Tesla Roadster is suing the BBC for libel over a three-year-old segment on its Top Gear program.
A humorous review of the vehicle by Jeremy Clarkson made it seem as though the Tesla had run out of juice during a race with another high-performance car (a gas-powered Lotus). But this and other factual claims made during the program weren’t true, Tesla Motors contends in the complaint (PDF) it filed yesterday in the British High Court of Justice.
A company web page about its lawsuit provides further details about what it contends was a rigged test that portrayed its vehicle inaccurately.
The BBC meanwhile says on its Newsbeat page that it did nothing wrong, stands by its program and plans an aggressive defense.
Related coverage:
Electric vision (The Guardian): “Stars and their electric cars”
