Formula E Paris: Jean-Eric Vergne takes victory in home race

Vergne's Techeetah team lost a one-two finish as Andre Lotterer suddenly slowed, was passed by di Grassi and then hit by Sam Bird, as he ran slowly through the final turns.

Bird crossed the line in third place with his right-front wheel hanging off.

Vergne led away from his fourth pole position of the season, as Bird was forced to defend hard from Lotterer on the run to the first corner, which is the Circuit des Invalides' third turn due to its split start and finish lines.

In the first stint, the leading trio ran nose-to-tail after Bird and Lotterer had erased Vergne's small early lead.

In the pack behind di Grassi and Sebastien Buemi, who had moved into fifth and sixth behind Maro Engel on a first lap that featured a dramatic three-way rear-ending accident involving Nico Prost, Tom Blomqvist and Mitch Evans towards the rear of the field at the Turn 9 hairpin, conserved their energy.

Bird had fractionally more energy than Vergne as they headed into the final laps of the first stint, but could not find a way by before they and Lotterer pitted on lap 24 of 49.

Vergne gained a second over Bird in the stops - Lotterer lost a further second at his car swap - as they emerged in the same order.

Di Grassi and Buemi ran two laps longer, which allowed the former to jump ahead of Engel and move up to fourth.

Vergne consolidated his lead while di Grassi used his energy advantage to catch Bird and Lotterer, who moved into second place with a barging pass at the tight Turn 10 right-hander on lap 35.

The pair made contact as Lotterer got by, with di Grassi following him past Bird a few corners later.

Lotterer and di Grassi were homing back towards Vergne as Bird fell away, when they came close together running through Turns 8 and 9 on lap 46.

The incident cost them momentum and gave Vergne enough breathing space to claim his third win of the season.

Lotterer appeared to run out of energy on the final tour, with the collision with Bird occurring as they approached the chequered flag, while Engel ended up fourth just behind.

Bird and Lotterer are under investigation for the crash, and were already under investigation for their earlier collision.

Buemi crossed the line ahead of Lotterer in fifth, after dramatic battle late-on with Daniel Abt - who charged up the order with a series of bold passes.

Abt came home seventh ahead of Mahindra's Felix Rosenqvist, Oliver Turvey and Jose Maria Lopez.

Edoado Mortara rose from 19th on the grid to run as high as 11th after running longer than anyone in the first stint - but he fell to 13th after coming together with Lopez as he tried to take 10th in the closing stages.

Nelson Piquet Jr and Tom Blomqvist retired shortly after their car swaps, while Antonio Felix da Costa stopped in the pits after just two laps.

Race result

Drivers' standings