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Authorities in Germany, Italy and Switzerland have raided the offices of auto giant Fiat-Chrysler and truck maker CNH Industrial over claims that some engines produce illegal levels of emissions.
The action refers to the alleged use of so-called “defeat devices” to mask the production of diesel pollution from vehicles.
Engines used by Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, as well as CNH’s Iveco trucks are the focus of the probe.
UK authorities have also asked two companies in London to provide documents.
Fiat-Chrysler Automobile (FCA) and CNH Industrial (CNH) are controlled by Exor, the Italian family holding company Agnelli.
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A statement from Eurojust, a European Union agency for criminal cooperation between member states, said the investigation is investigating a “number of people” who may have been involved in the alleged use of the devices. He did not name them.
The raids, initiated by German prosecutors investigating emissions fraud, involve claims that defeat devices were used in engine management software on 200,000 vehicles.
The use of software to flatter emission levels hits the headlines on Volkswagen’s “mismatch” issue. Track devices allow engines to reach contamination levels under laboratory testing, but shutdown the emission control system under real-world driving conditions.
UK documents
Eurojust did not mention the companies raided. However, FCA and CNH issued similar statements, acknowledging that investigators had appeared in various offices in Europe, and that they are fully cooperating with authorities.
Eurojust also said that “UK authorities have ordered two companies in London to produce relevant documents.” Again, these companies were not named.
The statement said: “Defeat devices are illegal under current European Union regulations. Vehicles with defeat devices are not approved for road use in the EU and consumers with such devices installed in their cars face possible driving bans. “
The raids on Wednesday were carried out at three offices in Germany, in Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, three locations in the Piedmont region of Italy, and one location in the Swiss canton of Thurgau.
The VW dieselgate scandal erupted in 2015, since Europe’s largest automaker paid fines of € 30 billion (£ 27 billion) and was investigated by regulators around the world. In the United Kingdom, motorists are involved in legal action for compensation.
But VW is far from the only manufacturing caught up in claims about defeat devices. Nissan, Ford and Daimler are among many companies whose true emission levels have been questioned.
