By REUTERS
French fraud investigators searched offices of French carmaker Renault last week, a union official said on Wednesday, speculating that it may have been linked to emissions.
Renault said investigations to date had found “no evidence of a defeat device equipping Renault vehicles”, in a reference to a type of software programme Volkswagen was found to have used by US investigators.
Renault shares fell as much as 22% after union officials first said the sites had been searched, prompting the company to issue a statement confirming the inspections.
It said fraud investigators were looking at the way it uses exhaust emissions technology in an additional probe of parts and factories that follows an earlier investigation by the French government.
German carmaker Volkswagen last year admitted to using software to conceal the level of toxic emissions from some of its diesel vehicles in the US.
It faces billions of dollars in claims from owners of vehicles with similar software installed around the world.
That has prompted investigations across several countries into Volkswagen, but also into other automobile manufacturers to ensure they have abided by regulations.
Renault declined to comment. The French Finance Ministry also declined to comment. No one at the Energy Ministry was immediately available to comment.
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