France probes carmaker PSA
April 24, 2017
France on Monday opened a probe into domestic auto manufacturer PSA, which owns the Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands. Prosecutors said the move came after stronger indications that the carmaker may have falsified pollution readings in the lab.
PSA itself vowed to defend its interests, saying it had always respected regulations in all countries it operated.
A spokesman added the company's vehicles had never been equipped with emissions detection software that would have enabled it to manipulate emissions readings the way German carmaker VW did.
VW not the only culprit?
Fraud investigators in France had earlier leveled similar allegations at PSA's domestic rival Renault, which stands accused of cheating on pollution tests for diesel and petrol engines for over 25 years, with the knowledge of top management.
Renault had ended up in the crosshairs after some of its models were found to spew out too many harmful emissions in random tests under real-world conditions last summer.
The accusations against French carmakers which now also include PSA are the latest chapter in a huge scandal which erupted in September 2015. Back then, Europe's biggest auto manufacturer, VW, admitted to fitting a total of 11 million cars worldwide with devices allowing it to fool emissions tests.
hg/jd (Reuters, AFP)