Dieselgate: Paris to probe Renault over emissions

French investigators will probe Renault over suspected "cheating" in emissions tests of diesel motors, the Paris prosecutors office said today.

Renault shares fell sharply on the news, which comes about two months after the government passed to the prosecutor the findings of an investigation by its consumer fraud agency.

Renault insisted its engines complied "with French and European regulations". "Renault vehicles are all and have always been homologated in accordance with the laws and regulations. They are compliant with the applicable standards. "Renault vehicles are not equipped with cheating software affecting anti-pollution systems."

Prosecutors have ordered a probe be opened into "cheating on key parts (of vehicles)" and into the quality of the tests carried out.

The probe comes after another global automaker, Fiat Chrysler, fell foul of US environmental standards on Thursday. The company was charged with having hidden software on diesel trucks which then spewed out excess emissions.

The Italian-American company immediately denied the charges and pledged to work with President-elect Donald Trump's adminstration to resolve the issue "fairly".

The shockwaves from Volkswagen's own emissions scandal are still reverberating around the global auto industry. US officials said Wednesday the German giant will plead guilty to three criminal charges and pay a total of $4.3 billion in fines to settle the emissions cheating scandal known as "dieselgate".