Photo: Catalin Garmacea
Ever since VW got itself into trouble over emissions-cheating TDIs, other manufacturers have also drawn the short stick over similar claims. From Jeep to Opel and even Mercedes-Benz, a lot of big players found themselves under investigation by independent parties or government institutions. Renault, meanwhile, has been battling allegations of emissions fraud for almost two years now.
It all started in November 2015, when a German environmental lobby group has published a report that suggested the 1.6 dCi in the Espace produces some 25 times more NOx emissions than the limit enforced by the EU6 standard. A few more reports followed, but today, things got serious.
French newspaper Libération cites a document published by DGCCRF, alleging that the automaker is preparing for a Dieselgate of its own. The publication notes that the Captur crossover and Clio IV hatchback exceed the regulatory threshold for nitrogen oxide emissions by 377% and 305%, respectively.
Libération also quotes one of the investigators from the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Prevention, as follows: "These results make it possible to suspect the installation of a fraudulent device.” The said device “specifically modifies the operation of the [1.5 dCi] engine, in order to reduce its NOx emissions under specific conditions of the homologation test, so that the emissions comply with regulatory limits.”
While it’s true the French regulator opened an investigation into the problem, the truth of the matter is that the inquiry is still ongoing. In this regard, Renault replied with a brief statement about Libération’s story, calling it “an unbalanced national newspaper article.” The company highlights that it can’t confirm the veracity, integrity, and reliability of Libération’s news article.
As Renault waits for the investigation to come to an end, the marque would like to reiterate that “none of its services has breached European or national regulations related to vehicle homologations.” Renault is so sure about the integrity of its 1.5 dCi-powered models that it warrants these “vehicles are not equipped with cheating software affecting anti-pollution systems.”
French newspaper Libération cites a document published by DGCCRF, alleging that the automaker is preparing for a Dieselgate of its own. The publication notes that the Captur crossover and Clio IV hatchback exceed the regulatory threshold for nitrogen oxide emissions by 377% and 305%, respectively.
Libération also quotes one of the investigators from the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs, and Fraud Prevention, as follows: "These results make it possible to suspect the installation of a fraudulent device.” The said device “specifically modifies the operation of the [1.5 dCi] engine, in order to reduce its NOx emissions under specific conditions of the homologation test, so that the emissions comply with regulatory limits.”
While it’s true the French regulator opened an investigation into the problem, the truth of the matter is that the inquiry is still ongoing. In this regard, Renault replied with a brief statement about Libération’s story, calling it “an unbalanced national newspaper article.” The company highlights that it can’t confirm the veracity, integrity, and reliability of Libération’s news article.
As Renault waits for the investigation to come to an end, the marque would like to reiterate that “none of its services has breached European or national regulations related to vehicle homologations.” Renault is so sure about the integrity of its 1.5 dCi-powered models that it warrants these “vehicles are not equipped with cheating software affecting anti-pollution systems.”
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