Renault is also affected now: after years of investigations, the French judiciary has launched an investigation against the car company for suspected fraud. As Renault announced on Tuesday evening, it comes down to the emissions values of diesel cars for the “older generations.” The judiciary has been investigating the case for about four and a half years.
Renault denied the allegations. They have always adhered to French and European guidelines. There are no fraudulent programs in cars. The manufacturer, based in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris, claims it has to pay a deposit of 20 million euros for possible damages and fines. In addition, a bank guarantee of 60 million euros is to be provided to compensate for possible damages.
The diesel case began in 2015 when German car maker Volkswagen admitted after US investigations that it had used cheat software on millions of vehicles. This ensures that emissions of pollutants during the tests conducted by the authorities were lower than later on the road. In Germany, former Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn and other former or current senior employees have been charged or under trial for this reason.
Other automakers such as Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler are facing allegations of installing illegal defeat devices to reduce pollutant emissions in diesel cars.