Tesla Motors announced yesterday that it has sued BBC's Top Gear TV show for �libel and malicious falsehood.� The American automaker�s action refers to a Top Gear episode aired on December 14 2008, when Jeremy Clarkson tested the Tesla Roadster.
According to Tesla, the show �contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster's performance, behavior and reliability.� Tesla Motors considers the breakdowns of the Roadster that allegedly occurred during the Top Gear episode were �staged� and that the statements made during the show are untrue.
More specifically, Tesla claims Top Gear misrepresented that:
- The Roadster ran out of charge and had to be pushed into the Top Gear hangar by 4 men.
- The Roadster�s true range is only 55 miles per charge (not 211).
- One Roadster�s motor overheated and was completely immobilized as a result.
- The other Roadster�s brakes were broken, rendering the car undriveable.
- That neither of the two Roadsters provided to Top Gear was available for test driving due to these problems.
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