French court charges Renault with deceit over ‘Dieselgate’ scandal, orders it to provide damages guarantees

Car manufacturer Renault has confirmed that a French court has charged it with deceit, after the company was placed under investigation in 2017 on suspicion of cheating on emissions tests for older diesel vehicles.

The France-based company confirmed the charge in a statement on Tuesday. It follows a probe into several automakers which was launched after the so-called ‘Dieselgate’ scandal involving Volkswagen.

“Renault denies having committed any offence and reminds that its vehicles are not equipped with any rigging software for pollution control devices,” the statement read.

“Renault has always complied with French and European regulations. Renault vehicles have all and always been type-approved in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”

The company said it had been ordered to provide a bank guarantee of €60 million for potential damages claims, and it must pay €20 million ($24 million) in bail, most of which will be earmarked for possible payouts and fines.

The company’s engineering chief, Gilles Le Borgne, told reporters it was unclear how many of its vehicles might be affected by the investigation.

French prosecutors launched an inquiry into the carmaker in 2017 over allegations of “cheating” on pollution tests for its diesel cars.

The probe came after the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal in 2015, when it emerged the German company had fitted some 11 million diesel vehicles with illegal “defeat devices” to help it pass emissions tests.

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