Not only Renault is in the crosshairs of the French Ministry of Justice. Stellantis and Volkswagen must also be held accountable. Both car manufacturers are accused of lying to consumers.
Peugeot, which is now under the care of Stellantis, concerns Euro 5 diesels that were sold between 2009 and 2015. In terms of content, the charge does not differ from that at Renault: Peugeot has defrauded the whole thing by defrauding the software and the emission requirements. As a result, Peugeot is now required to pay a €10 million bail and provide a €30 million bank guarantee to compensate for possible damages. That is half of what Renault had to transfer for both amounts. Strikingly enough, Citroën has not immediately filed a complaint with Peugeot. That seems to be the case soon, however, because Stellantis indicates that Citroën must appear in court today.
The poison cup is not yet empty for Stellantis. FCA (Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Jeep) is accused that the diesels were not completely kosher either. That case will go to court in July. Stellantis himself denies that illegal practices have taken place. “The companies strongly believe that their emissions reductions met then-current requirements and look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate this,” the statement reads. Incidentally, the Dutch state also filed a complaint against Stellantis in March for alleged diesel fraud.
Volkswagen back on track
In the meantime, France continues, because Volkswagen must also appear in the dock. according to Automotive News the brand must pay a €10 million deposit and provide a €60 million bank guarantee. Volkswagen, which has previously been convicted of diesel fraud, believes the steps taken by the French Ministry of Justice are unjustified. “A double penalty for the same offense should be prohibited,” Volkswagen said.