Hyundai targeted in search operations in Germany and Luxembourg

Companies are accused of having sold more than 210,000 diesel vehicles by 2020 with unauthorized devices

Korean car manufacturer Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia were searched in Germany and Luxembourg on Tuesday, the 28th, as part of an investigation into the sale of “210 thousand vehicles” whose diesel engine was allegedly tampered with.

“About 140 investigators carried out searches in eight locations in Germany and Luxembourg” belonging to “manufacturers Kia and Hyundai”, the Frankfurt prosecutor’s office said in a statement sent to AFP on Wednesday.

They are accused of having “sold more than 210,000 diesel vehicles by 2020 with unauthorized devices”, which allows artificially reducing CO emissions._two of engines, he added.

Therefore, the two manufacturers are sued for “suspected fraud and air pollution, in addition to complicity in these crimes”.

These operations were “coordinated by Eurojust”, the European judicial cooperation platform, the MP said.

The program that allows manipulation belongs to the Delphi provider, which today belongs to the American group BorgWarner, was also accused.

During the police operations, investigators looked for “evidence, including communication data, computer programs and planning documents”, according to German authorities.

Source: AFP