French PSA Under Investigation for Cheating on Emission Tests

French car manufacturer PSA Peugeot-Citroen is under investigation by the French prosecution for cheating on emissions tests for diesel vehicles, foreign media report. News agencies Reuters and AFP have reported that they received information from judicial sources indicating that the company is being investigated for violating consumer protection laws.

The Volkswagen Scandal

Emissions from diesel engines are under scrutiny following the Volkswagen scandal. However, PSA has stated that their diesel vehicles have never been equipped with software that would allow them to cheat during emissions testing.

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A company spokesperson stated that “they comply with regulations in all countries where they operate,” denying that they have done anything illegal. The group was reported to the French prosecution by the local consumer rights protection regulator after the services of that institution seized documentation from PSA’s office in France a year ago.

The car manufacturer is accused of potentially making emissions from diesel engines “dangerous to human and animal health.”

Investigators have already accused the car manufacturer Renault, which is partially state-owned, of cheating on pollution tests conducted on diesel and gasoline engines for the past 25 years, all with the knowledge of the company’s executives.

German Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 that it had installed software in 11 million diesel vehicles, of which 8.5 million were in Europe, that displayed false emissions values.

>>>PSA Acquires Opel from General Motors

Last month, PSA agreed to purchase the car manufacturer Opel and its brand in the UK market, Vauxhall, from American General Motors (GM) for 2.2 billion euros, aiming to compete with Volkswagen.