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Business Standard
a day ago
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Tesla on trial in Florida over fatal crash linked to autopilot system
Tesla Inc. will stand trial over claims that the company is partly to blame for a fatal 2019 crash in Florida that occurred when the Autopilot system in a Model S allegedly failed to detect a parked SUV. Family members of the woman killed in the crash, Tesla engineers and auto-safety experts are expected to provide testimony in a federal courtroom in Miami during the jury trial, which starts Monday and is set to last three weeks. Only a handful of Tesla crash cases have gone to trial. The electric vehicle maker has struck confidential accords to resolve several cases that blamed defective technology for deadly accidents. Musk is under enormous investor pressure after the company's stock has been battered, first by his close affiliation with President Donald Trump, and then by his dramatic falling out with the president. Musk has staked Tesla's future in part on autonomous driving as the company makes a big push to launch a robotaxi business. In the Miami case, like others before it, Tesla has pinned its defense on 'driver error.' The driver of the Tesla S had engaged the driver-assistance system, but had dropped his mobile phone and wasn't watching the road while reaching for the device on the floorboard. That's when the car went through a T intersection in Key Largo and off the pavement, striking a parked Chevrolet Tahoe whose two occupants were standing outside the vehicle. Naibel Benavides Leon, 20, was killed in the collision. Her estate sued Tesla, as did Dillon Angulo, who was injured. The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical expenses, wrongful death and pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages for what plaintiffs claim was Tesla's 'reckless disregard for human life.''The evidence clearly shows that this crash had nothing to do with Tesla's Autopilot technology,'' Tesla said in a statement. ''Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver. To his credit, he took responsibility for his actions because he was searching for his dropped cell phone while also pressing the accelerator, speeding and overriding the car's system at the time of the crash. In 2019 when this occurred, no crash avoidance technology existed that could have prevented this tragic accident.' At issue is whether alleged design defects with Tesla's Autopilot system resulted in a failure to detect and respond to obstacles in the vehicle's path, including the end of the roadway. The lawsuit also argues that Tesla failed to provide adequate warning about the dangers of using Autopilot. Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group, said the case would be the first to test these legal theories of liability against Tesla. 'This case has the potential to set a marker in the sand about just how far juries are willing to go one way or the other,' Brooks said in an interview. 'The interesting part of this case will be seeing how much blame the jury places on the driver, but also how much blame they want to place on Tesla.' In June, US District Judge Beth Bloom dismissed claims of defective manufacturing and negligent misrepresentation. The lawsuit had argued that Tesla falsely advertised its Autopilot capabilities beyond what the vehicle actually possessed. Bloom sided with Tesla and said there was no basis for such a claim. George McGee, the driver of the Tesla, is expected to testify at trial. In court filings, attorneys for the plaintiffs argue he was overly reliant on his vehicle's Autopilot system because Tesla fails to adequately inform drivers about its limitations. Jurors are also slated to hear expert testimony from Mary 'Missy' Cummings, a George Mason University professor who has been critical of Tesla's automated-driving systems. When she was appointed to serve as senior safety adviser at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2021, Musk called her 'extremely biased against Tesla' and Tesla fans signed a petition against her. Cummings has served as an expert witness in at least two other lawsuits against Tesla related to the Autopilot system, according to court filings. The automaker won two previous trials in California after juries found that accidents blamed on Autopilot — one fatal and one not — were due to driver error rather than the company's technology. In 2022, the company was found just 1 per cent responsible for the death of an 18-year-old whose Model S slammed into a concrete wall in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while he was speeding. The jury said the teen and his father were 99 per cent at fault for the crash. The company's near-perfect record in court carries the risk that any adverse verdict could be seen as undermining Musk's oft-repeated claim that his electric vehicles are the safest ever made. Tesla faces three more trials over fatal Autopilot crashes in the next nine months in California. It's also scheduled to go to trial in Houston over a case brought on behalf of five police officers badly injured on the side of a freeway when a Tesla on Autopilot plowed into a parked squad car at 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Trump scuppers idea of calling Musk after row, may ditch Tesla
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has no plans to speak to billionaire Elon Musk and may even ditch his red Tesla car, the White House said Friday after a stunning public divorce fraught with risk for both men. Trump's camp insisted that he wanted to move on from the row with the South African-born Musk, with officials telling AFP that the tech tycoon had requested a call but that the president was not interested. The Republican instead intended to focus on getting the US Congress to pass his 'big, beautiful' spending bill -- Musk's harsh criticisms of which had triggered the astonishing meltdown on Thursday. Fallout from the blow up between the world's richest person and its most powerful could be significant, as Trump risks political damage and Musk faces the loss of huge US government contracts. Trump phoned reporters at several US broadcast networks to insist that he was looking past the row. He called Musk 'the man who has lost his mind' in a call to ABC and told CBS he was 'totally' focused on the presidency. The White House meanwhile squashed earlier reports that they would talk. 'The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,' a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity. A second official said it was 'true' that Musk had requested a call. - Tesla giveaway? - Tesla stocks tanked more than 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, losing some $100 billion of the company's market value, but recovering partly Friday. Trump was considering either selling or giving away the cherry red Tesla S that he announced he had bought from Musk's firm at the height of their relationship. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. 'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give away the Tesla. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after viral protests against Musk's role as head of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). - 'Expiration date' - The move came despite apparent efforts by Musk to de-escalate. On Thursday, the SpaceX boss briefly threatened to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft -- vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station -- after Trump suggested he could end Musk's giant government contracts. But later in the day, Musk sought to deescalate, writing on his X social media platform: 'OK, we won't decommission Dragon.' The tech magnate also kept a low profile early Friday. But there is no clarity on how the two big egos will repair the relationship, which had already been fraying badly, causing tensions in the White House. Trade Advisor Peter Navarro, whom Musk once called 'dumber than a sack of bricks' in an argument over Trump's tariffs, refused to gloat but said the tycoon had an 'expiration date.' 'No, I'm not glad or whatever,' he told reporters. 'People come and go from the White House.' Vice President JD Vance also stuck by Trump amid the blazing row -- blasting what he called 'lies' that his boss was 'impulsive or short-tempered' -- but notably avoided criticizing Musk. The tensions burst into the open this week when Musk called Trump's flagship spending bill an 'abomination' because it raises the US deficit. Then in a televised Oval Office diatribe on Thursday, Trump said he was 'very disappointed' with Musk. The pair traded insults for hours on social media, with Musk at one point suggesting impeachment of Trump and signalling interest in forming a new political party.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Trump has no plans to speak to billionaire Elon Musk
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has no plans to speak to billionaire Elon Musk and may even ditch his red Tesla car, the White House said Friday after a stunning public divorce fraught with risk for both men. Trump's camp insisted that he wanted to move on from the row with the South African-born Musk, with officials telling AFP that the tech tycoon had requested a call but that the president was not interested. The Republican instead intended to focus on getting the US Congress to pass his 'big, beautiful' spending bill -- Musk's harsh criticisms of which had triggered the astonishing meltdown on Thursday. Fallout from the blow up between the world's richest person and its most powerful could be significant, as Trump risks political damage and Musk faces the loss of huge US government contracts. Trump phoned reporters at several US broadcast networks to insist that he was looking past the row. He called Musk 'the man who has lost his mind' in a call to ABC and told CBS he was 'totally' focused on the presidency. The White House meanwhile squashed earlier reports that they would talk. 'The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,' a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity. A second official said it was 'true' that Musk had requested a call. - Tesla giveaway? - Tesla stocks tanked more than 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, losing some $100 billion of the company's market value, but recovering partly Friday. Trump was considering either selling or giving away the cherry red Tesla S that he announced he had bought from Musk's firm at the height of their relationship. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. 'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give away the Tesla. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after viral protests against Musk's role as head of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). - 'Expiration date' - The move came despite apparent efforts by Musk to de-escalate. On Thursday, the SpaceX boss briefly threatened to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft -- vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station -- after Trump suggested he could end Musk's giant government contracts. But later in the day, Musk sought to deescalate, writing on his X social media platform: 'OK, we won't decommission Dragon.' The tech magnate also kept a low profile early Friday. But there is no clarity on how the two big egos will repair the relationship, which had already been fraying badly, causing tensions in the White House. Trade Advisor Peter Navarro, whom Musk once called 'dumber than a sack of bricks' in an argument over Trump's tariffs, refused to gloat but said the tycoon had an 'expiration date.' 'No, I'm not glad or whatever,' he told reporters. 'People come and go from the White House.' Vice President JD Vance also stuck by Trump amid the blazing row -- blasting what he called 'lies' that his boss was 'impulsive or short-tempered' -- but notably avoided criticizing Musk. The tensions burst into the open this week when Musk called Trump's flagship spending bill an 'abomination' because it raises the US deficit. Then in a televised Oval Office diatribe on Thursday, Trump said he was 'very disappointed' with Musk. The pair traded insults for hours on social media, with Musk at one point suggesting impeachment of Trump and signalling interest in forming a new political party.
The Sun
07-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Trump says Musk has ‘lost his mind' as feud fallout mounts
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday that Elon Musk had 'lost his mind' but insisted he wanted to move on from the fiery split with his billionaire former ally. The blistering public break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful is fraught with political and economic risks all round. Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials told AFP. But Trump told US broadcasters that he now wanted to focus instead on passing his 'big, beautiful' mega-bill -- Musk's harsh criticism of which had sparked their break-up. But the 78-year-old Republican could not stop himself from taking aim at his South African-born friend-turned-enemy. 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' Trump said in a call with ABC when asked about Musk, adding that he was 'not particularly' interested in talking to the tycoon. Trump later told Fox News that Musk had 'lost it,' while CNN quoted the president as saying: 'I'm not even thinking about poor guy's got a problem.' Just a week ago Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after four months working there. - 'Very disappointed' - But while there had been reports of tensions, the sheer speed at which their relationship imploded stunned Washington. After Musk called Trump's spending bill an 'abomination' on Tuesday, Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe on Thursday in which he said he was 'very disappointed' by the tycoon. Trump's spending bill faces a difficult path through Congress as it will raise the US deficit, while critics say it will cut health care for millions of the poorest Americans. The row then went nuclear, with Musk slinging insults at Trump and accusing him without evidence of being in government files on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump hit back with the power of the US government behind him, saying he could cancel the Space X boss's multi-billion-dollar rocket and satellite contracts. The right-wing tech baron apparently tried to deescalate. Musk rowed back on a threat to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft -- vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. And on Friday the usually garrulous poster kept a low social media profile on his X social network. But the White House denied reports that they would talk. 'The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,' a senior White House official told AFP. A second official said Musk had requested a call. - Tesla giveaway? - Tesla stocks tanked more than 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, losing some $100 billion of the company's market value, but recovering partly Friday. Trump is now considering either selling or giving away the cherry red Tesla S that he announced he had bought from Musk's firm in March. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. 'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give it away. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after viral protests against Musk's DOGE role. But while Trump appeared to have many of the cards in their row, Musk also has some to play. His wealth allowed him to be Trump's biggest donor to his 2024 campaign, to the tune of nearly $300 million. Any further support for the 2026 midterms now appears in doubt -- while Musk could also use his money to undermine Trump's support on the right.
Japan Today
06-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Trump says Musk has 'lost his mind' as feud fallout mounts
Trump has no plans to speak to Musk, a White House official said By Danny KEMP U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Elon Musk had "lost his mind" but insisted he wanted to move on from the fiery split with his billionaire former ally. The blistering public break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful is fraught with political and economic risks all round. Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials told AFP. But Trump told U.S. broadcasters that he now wanted to focus instead on passing his "big, beautiful" mega-bill -- Musk's harsh criticism of which had sparked their break-up. But the 78-year-old Republican could not stop himself from taking aim at his South African-born friend-turned-enemy. "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" Trump said in a call with ABC when asked about Musk, adding that he was "not particularly" interested in talking to the tycoon. Trump later told Fox News that Musk had "lost it," while CNN quoted the president as saying: "I'm not even thinking about poor guy's got a problem." Just a week ago Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after four months working there. But while there had been reports of tensions, the sheer speed at which their relationship imploded stunned Washington. After Musk called Trump's spending bill an "abomination" on Tuesday, Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe on Thursday in which he said he was "very disappointed" by the tycoon. Trump's spending bill faces a difficult path through Congress as it will raise the U.S. deficit, while critics say it will cut health care for millions of the poorest Americans. The row then went nuclear, with Musk slinging insults at Trump and accusing him without evidence of being in government files on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump hit back with the power of the U.S. government behind him, saying he could cancel the Space X boss's multi-billion-dollar rocket and satellite contracts. The right-wing tech baron apparently tried to deescalate. Musk rowed back on a threat to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft -- vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. And on Friday the usually garrulous poster kept a low social media profile on his X social network. But the White House denied reports that they would talk. "The president does not intend to speak to Musk today," a senior White House official told AFP. A second official said Musk had requested a call. Tesla stocks tanked more than 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, losing some $100 billion of the company's market value, but recovering partly Friday. Trump is now considering either selling or giving away the cherry red Tesla S that he announced he had bought from Musk's firm in March. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. "He's thinking about it, yes," a senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give it away. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after viral protests against Musk's DOGE role. But while Trump appeared to have many of the cards in their row, Musk also has some to play. His wealth allowed him to be Trump's biggest donor to his 2024 campaign, to the tune of nearly $300 million. Any further support for the 2026 midterms now appears in doubt -- while Musk could also use his money to undermine Trump's support on the right. © 2025 AFP
