France continues investigations into vehicle emissions

Authorities examining emissions from 100 vehicles in tests ‘welcomed’ by car manufacturer Renault

Investigators in France are continuing to examine the level of existence of ‘defeat devices’ on vehicles sold in the country, in the wake of a probe by French authorities following the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

Action is being carried out to assess the emissions from vehicles after, late last year, car maker Volkswagen was found to have manipulated diesel testing of its cars in order to meet emissions limits.

Car-maker Renault is among those whose vehicles have been tested

French car giant Renault — of which 25 vehicles are being tested — has been the centre of focus among media reports of the action which has led to a dramatic dip in the company’s share price.

However, the manufacturer said it welcomed the intervention by the French authorities, claiming that the ‘on-going tests open the way for improvement solutions for future and current Renault vehicles’.

Investigations

In a statement the company said: “Renault’s teams are fully cooperating with the independent technical commission and the additional investigations decided by the Ministry of Economy.

“Following the success of the COP21, Renault intends to accelerate its investment towards industrial solutions aiming at protecting the planet.”

The probe is being carried out under the authority of the French Agency for Energy and Climate, which has established an independent technical commission to assess whether the existence of defeat devices — designed to manipulate nitrogen dioxide emissions during testing — extend beyond just car maker Volkswagen.

Testing body UTAC is currently assessing the emissions from 100 vehicles in circulation.

Yesterday (January 14) the French Government’s independent technical commission heard that results from the testing on 22 of the vehicles had been completed.

This confirmed the existence of ‘fraud software’ on two Volkswagen vehicles tested. Similar software had not been found on any of the other vehicles, from other manufacturers, that had been assessed.

In a statement, the Ministry, of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, said: “The Committee will continue its work to continue its analysis of the tests, which she has now validated the specifications for the planned 100 vehicles are tested, as announced at the Installation of the Commission. The final results and conclusions will be published at the end of all tests.”