The French and Italian governments have announced that they are launching investigations into diesel cars sold by the Volkswagen (VW) Group. In France, spokesperson for the prosecutor's office Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre was quoted by Dow Jones Newswire as saying that it has begun a preliminary investigation into the company on charges of "aggravated deception." She added that it plans to reach out to other national agencies as part of this investigation. Italy's Antitrust Authority will also undertake an investigation into misleading customers through advertising. It has been quoted in a statement as saying, "Volkswagen's claims about emissions and certifications in advertising campaigns and information brochures distributed by dealers might have induced consumers to make an error in their choice." The Italian antitrust body added that the investigation would concern "several types of vehicles sold by Volkswagen Group between 2009 and 2015, with VW, Audi, SEAT, and Skoda brands." Furthermore, Italy's transport ministry is reportedly planning to test 80 diesel models sold by the eight leading automakers in the country, reports Reuters citing Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore. According to documents seen by the newspaper, the tests will begin during the next 10 days, with results intended to be published in May 2016. The test group could feature up to 1,000 new and used vehicles, it added.
Significance: Following the announcement that the VW Group had sought to beat emissions tests in cars featuring its EA189 diesel engine in the United States a fortnight ago, there have been growing questions as to whether the software used, and also installed in other vehicles sold globally, would have benefits in beating other test regimes as well. The prevalence of diesel use in Europe has sparked particular interest here. As well as Germany, France and Italy have also been particularly vocal in raising questions in this area. France has already started looking into the possibility of this sort of practice being in wider use, with VW Group vehicles being the initial focus. It is also seeking the return of emissions-based incentives paid to support the acquisition of VW vehicles. Italian politicians have also been vocal in investigating the VW Group. The antitrust investigation comes as consumer groups have also started to undertake legal cases against the company. However, it is still unclear whether the software has actually benefited VW Group in achieving emissions in Europe.
