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Tesla Top Gear

Top Gear sees back of Tesla libel claims

Tesla Roadster

British high court judge Justice Tugendhat has ruled Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear did not mislead the public over the travelling range of the electric-powered Tesla sportscar.

“In my judgment, the words complained of are wholly incapable of conveying any meaning at all to the effect that the claimant [Tesla] misled anyone,” Justice Tugendhat said.

“This is because there is a contrast between the style of driving and the nature of the track as compared with the conditions on a public road […] are so great that no reasonable person could understand that the performance on the [Top Gear] track is capable of a direct comparison with a public road.”

However, the Tesla v Top Gear case remains ongoing while the fight over malicious falsehood claims continues. Included in the claims is Tesla’s belief that staged footage was used to deliberately portray the Roadster to have poor battery performance.

The original episode aired in 2008 (Series 12, Episode 7) but can still be accessed via the BBC iPlayer website. This, say Tesla, results in a “continuing impact” on its reputation. Top Gear, of course, say that’s rubbish (as outlined previously by the show’s Executive Producer).

[Source: The Guardian]