German authorities have raided multiple Hyundai and Kia premises harbouring suspicions that they have fitted emissions defeat devices to over 210,000 diesel vehicles.
According to a statement, illegal engine management software was used to cheat emissions tests in a lab environment.
The software is thought to have come from part suppliers Bosch, and Delphi Technologies, now owned by BorgWarner.
Authorities searched eight properties in Germany and Luxembourg in an operation coordinated by the European Union agency Eurojust.
A spokesperson for Hyundai confirmed the raids and said that the company was working with the authorities.
With more strict emissions regulations coming into play on a regular basis, it is becoming a bigger challenge for carmakers to meet emissions standards.
However, emissions investigations aren’t a new occurrence for many car manufacturers with the likes of Volkswagen coming under fire in 2015.
Volkswagen fitted illegal emissions devices to their diesel vehicles sparking what would become the well-known ‘dieselgate’ scandal.
Since then, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Jeep, and Suzuki are among a number of manufacturers targeted by authorities in Europe.
