Renault Refutes Claims Of Emissions Cheating, Awaits Investigation Results

Renault has denied the use of emissions-cheating devices in its diesel vehicles, following reports accusing the French company of misleading authorities a-la Volkswagen’s ‘Dieselgate’.

In a statement released this week, Renault said none of its products or services have breached European or national regulations related to vehicle homologations.

“Renault vehicles are not equipped with cheating software affecting anti-pollution systems,” the statement read.

“Renault will prove its compliance with the regulations and reserves its explanations for the Judges in charge of investigating this case.”

“Groupe Renault, as it has always done, will fully cooperate with the Judges in the context of an investigation which raises, between the European authorities and the Member States, issues of interpretation of the standards governing the conditions of vehicle homologations,” Renault added.

The release comes two months after an article by France’s Le Figaro claimed the company was in hot water with authorities, again, alleging several models emit 10 times the legal limit of NOx.

However, unlike the Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’ saga, Renault’s supposed cheat device was hardware-related, not software related.

Several other brands were also said to be under investigation, including Citroen, Ford, Peugeot, and Toyota.

Last year, DUH, an independent environmental lobby group, accused the Renault Espace MPV (not sold here) of emitting up to 25 times the legal limit of NOx. The car maker hit back, saying the tests conducted weren’t the same as those run by the government and that all its vehicles comply with emissions regulations.

(CarAdvice)