Hyundai and Kia in new Dieselgate probe
Prosecutors raid both Korean car-makers in Europe over 210,000 suspected diesel emissions cheatsHyundai and Kia are working with German officials after their European offices were raided over suspected diesel-emissions cheating of the kind the Volkswagen Group was convicted for in the infamous Dieselgate scandal.
The Frankfurt state prosecutor’s office raided eight Kia and Hyundai properties yesterday in Germany and neighbouring Luxembourg over suspicions that the Korean companies had used illegal ‘defeat’ devices to make their diesel cars appear less polluting.
The prosecutors said they suspected the two companies of fitting 210,000 cars with software devices that illegally minimised NOx emissions under certain circumstances to meet test requirements while allowing unfiltered emissions in the real world.
Hyundai and Kia have admitted the raids, co-ordinated by the European Union’s Eurojust agency, occurred and said they were cooperating with the prosecutors.
“On Tuesday 28th June the Hyundai Motor Europe premises in Offenbach were visited by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Staatsanwaltschaft) for Offenbach,” Hyundai said in a statement.
“Hyundai is fully cooperating with the Public Prosecutor and will not make any further comments on this matter at this time.”
The software at the centre of the raids comes from suppliers Robert Bosch and Delphi, which is owned by BorgWarner.
It’s not Bosch’s first involvement in emissions cheating, because the world’s largest automotive supplier was a key player in the Volkswagen’s Group’s €30 billion Dieselgate scandal in 2015.
Dieselgate, which embroiled the Volkswagen Group in a global scandal involving more than 12 million cars and SUVs, originated at Audi using Bosch engine management computer software.
The supply giant was hit with a €90 million fine in 2019 for its role in the Dieselgate cheats, with prosecutors insisting Bosch was responsible for at least 17 million computers programed to help the Volkswagen Group cheat on emissions tests.
In the wake of the Dieselgate scandal, European and US investigators found emissions-cheating diesel ‘defeat; devices at Mercedes-Benz, Audi (more than once), Renault, Opel, FCA (now Stellantis), Ford and Porsche.
While Volkswagen accelerated the rollout of its electric ID family in the wake of Dieselgate, the timing is dreadful for Hyundai and Kia, who have been building a reputation as credible EV makers, with Hyundai revealing its second dedicated EV, the IONIQ 6 sedan, just this morning.
Related: Volkswagen loses dieselgate appeal
Join the conversation at
Or email us at
Or email us at
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
