Photo: Renault
Have you ever mistook somebody for a completely different person? It happened to all of us, but a simple apology accompanied by a smile took care of things, and everybody could move on.
In the world of car makers, though, silly mistakes like these have a lot greater implications. For instance, Renault was the subject of an investigation from the French Economy Ministry, but since Renault also makes diesel cars and any investigation has to be diesel-related these days, the market reacted instantly, and the company’s shares dropped by 21%.
Of course, the authorities were there for entirely different reasons, but the damage was already done. And it amounted to a colossal $6.3 billion or €5.8 billion.
However, the French car making company isn’t completely innocent. Following the Dieselgate scandal, environmental agencies have tightened their control over real-world NOx emissions from diesel-powered cars. After some recent tests run by the French energy department, Renault cars have been declared free of any defeat device, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods just yet.
They are, in fact, in the middle of an NOx cloud that’s significantly larger than the one officially stated. Three Renault models have been found to emit more nitrous oxides than declared (and allowed), which prompted a reaction from the country’s largest car maker.
The models in question are the Renault Espace, an unnamed utility vehicle (probably either Kangoo or Master) and, most worryingly, the Captur crossover. The Captur is a relatively new model and one that’s supposed to abide by the strict Euro 6 standards.
According to Automotive News, Renault has committed to recalling the 15,000+ cars to fix the issue. Testing revealed that the surplus of malicious gases passes the filtration system only when the outside temperature is either very hot or very cold. It is said that the repairs will take roughly half a day per car, which means Renault mechanics will probably be working overtime.
It is yet unclear whether other models might suffer the same fate following continued tests, but Renault certainly has its hands full as things stand right now.
All this not exactly flattering attention aimed at diesel engines lately could have a serious impact on the sales of cars running on this type of fuel. Right now, it feels like buying a diesel car is a gamble: you don’t really know who will find what about the model you’ve acquired, and you’ll end up spending more time in the shops with your brand new car than actually driving it. We’re not there yet, but have two or three more brands issuing major recalls, and we could see an even steeper drop in diesel sales.
Of course, the authorities were there for entirely different reasons, but the damage was already done. And it amounted to a colossal $6.3 billion or €5.8 billion.
However, the French car making company isn’t completely innocent. Following the Dieselgate scandal, environmental agencies have tightened their control over real-world NOx emissions from diesel-powered cars. After some recent tests run by the French energy department, Renault cars have been declared free of any defeat device, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods just yet.
They are, in fact, in the middle of an NOx cloud that’s significantly larger than the one officially stated. Three Renault models have been found to emit more nitrous oxides than declared (and allowed), which prompted a reaction from the country’s largest car maker.
The models in question are the Renault Espace, an unnamed utility vehicle (probably either Kangoo or Master) and, most worryingly, the Captur crossover. The Captur is a relatively new model and one that’s supposed to abide by the strict Euro 6 standards.
According to Automotive News, Renault has committed to recalling the 15,000+ cars to fix the issue. Testing revealed that the surplus of malicious gases passes the filtration system only when the outside temperature is either very hot or very cold. It is said that the repairs will take roughly half a day per car, which means Renault mechanics will probably be working overtime.
It is yet unclear whether other models might suffer the same fate following continued tests, but Renault certainly has its hands full as things stand right now.
All this not exactly flattering attention aimed at diesel engines lately could have a serious impact on the sales of cars running on this type of fuel. Right now, it feels like buying a diesel car is a gamble: you don’t really know who will find what about the model you’ve acquired, and you’ll end up spending more time in the shops with your brand new car than actually driving it. We’re not there yet, but have two or three more brands issuing major recalls, and we could see an even steeper drop in diesel sales.
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