French prosecutors on Tuesday brought preliminary charges against Renault SA on suspicion of emissions fraud, adding to the fallout for auto makers following Volkswagen AG’s emission scandal.
The French auto maker said Tuesday it would need to pay a bail of 20 million euros, equivalent to $24.4 million, and provide bank guarantees of 60 million euros to compensate potential damages as part of the probe related to older diesel vehicles.
Renault denied wrongdoing and said its “vehicles have all and always been type-approved in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”
It added that its vehicles aren’t equipped with rigging software for pollution-control devices.
French prosecutors opened an investigation into Renault in 2017 to probe whether the auto maker engaged in fraudulent practices that made its diesel-powered vehicles “dangerous to human and animal health.”
