It appears the first signs of potential espionage appeared in August and, after a several month investigation, the French manufacturer decided to suspend the three senior executives. Names and details regarding the investigation have not been disclosed.
What's more important is that Renault is now afraid that its EV technology that will hit the market this year could be at risk, as important information regarding these models could have been leaked outside the closed doors of the French manufacturer. Nissan has already launched its first all-electric vehicle, the Leaf, in the United States and prepares for a global launch this year, while Renault will debut an entire range of electric cars starting 2011.
This isn't the first time when fears of industrial espionage hit the automotive market, but other carmakers have tried to prevent such problems in a number of ways. Porsche is probably the best example on the matter, as the German sportscar manufacturer decided in 2010 to ban employees' access to online social network services and thus restrict them from posting important information over the Internet.
"These services imply a certain threat potential," Dirk Erat, a Porsche spokesman, said in October 2010 when the company made the first step to protect itself from espionage.
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