Renault stated that fraud investigators were looking at the way it uses exhaust emissions technology in an additional inquiry of parts and factories that follows an earlier investigation by the French government following the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
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“This is not under consideration for the moment”. The minister added that presence of C02 and NOx above accepted limits had however been detected in cars of other manufacturers.
French ministers have said that no “defeat device” or fraudulent software in Renault engines has been found, after the carmaker’s share price plunged on Thursday following reports that police had raided its premises.
The French government created an independent technical commission following Germany’s Volkswagen confessing last September to installing “defeat device” software in their diesel vehicles.
Volkswagen is facing possible fines that could reach into the tens of billions of dollars in the United States alone over the scandal, and faces probes in other countries as well.
Renault shares real ended the day down 10 per cent. Tonight, Renault is worth £2 billion less than it was this morning.
The commission is testing 100 vehicles in circulation in France, with 25 of these made by Renault. At the end of December 2015, 11 vehicles had already been tested, including 4 Renault vehicles enabling the French public authorities to initiate productive discussions with Renault’s engineering team. She told journalists: “There is no fraud at Renault”.
The company said in a statement fraud investigators had “decided to conduct an additional investigation on parts and sites with the aim of definitively validating the initial analysis by the independent technical commission”.
It added that its corporate headquarters and two technical sites had been targeted by the searches and that employees were fully co-operating.
The investigation comes after Volkswagen was ordered to recall 8.5 million cars in Europe following the discovery by a U.S. regulator that it had been cheating on emissions tests.
The on-going tests open the way for improvement solutions for future and current Renault vehicles. presented in its Renault Emissions Plan which is aimed at improving the energy performance of our vehicles.
“Tests don’t prove the existence of defeat software of gas emissions at Renault”, Royal said.
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Renault contested the findings.
