Renault charged for emissions deception in France

Renault is being charged for emissions cheating by French prosecutors, following an investigation that started in 2017.

The car maker is one of many to be scrutinised following the Volkswagen dieselgate scandal and, according to Reuters, it confirmed on Tuesday (June 8) that it had been charged by a French court with deception.

Renault issued a statement that said: "Renault denies having committed any crime, and reiterates that its vehicles are not my any measure equipped with systems that would enable it to cheat in emissions testing.

"All Renault vehicles have always been approved in accordance with applicable laws and regulations."

Renault has been ordered to pay 20 million euros (£17.2 million) in bail and provide a bank guarantee of 60 million euros (£51.5m) to cover any compensation orders.

Fraud investigators involved in the case claim that Renault’s senior managers used "fraudulent strategies" to falsify emissions test results for up to 25 years.

A report seen by news agency AFP suggests investigators found discrepancies of up to 377% between emissions from models during tests, and results from actual on-the-road use by consumers.

Carlos Ghosn, who led Renault until his 2018 arrest in Japan, was questioned by French judges over the suspected cheating last month.

Investigators said they found no evidence Ghosn, who fled to Lebanon in late 2019, charged anybody else with approving the company's emissions control decisions, making them "his responsibility".

Ghosn was only heard as a witness in the investigation and would need to be in France to be formally indicted.

Renault’s new boss, Luca de Meo, is leading the company through a transition toward electrification with a new ‘Renaulution’ plan.