German prosecutors are investigating the regional offices of Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. over allegations that the two automakers manipulate exhaust gas emissions of their diesel vehicles.

The Frankfurt prosecutors' office in Germany reported that approximately 140 prosecutors and investigators raided the offices of the two automakers in Frankfurt and Luxembourg on June 28.

Hyundai and Kia are suspected of utilising emissions-manipulating devices supplied by Bosch, a German component manufacturer, and Delphi Technologies, which BorgWarner purchased in 2020. In Germany, Hyundai and Kia sold approximately 210,000 automobiles equipped with the devices in question.

If the exhaust gas manipulation charges are proven to be genuine, it might send a shock wave similar to Volkswagen's diesel gate scandal of 2015.

Choi Eun-seo, a Greenpeace climate-energy campaigner, said: "If Hyundai Motor and Kia are found to have used defeat devices, it will be a serious problem just like Volkswagen’s diesel gate in 2015. We need to take a closer look at their ESG efforts, as they may have used greenwashing tactics.

"In a carbon-neutral roadmap for responding to the climate crisis, the International Energy Agency said that 60 per cent of global car sales need to be converted to electric vehicle sales by 2030 and 100 per cent in all markets by 2035. Hyundai Motor announced a plan to stop selling cars powered by internal combustion engines in Europe by 2035 and in the U.S., China and Korea by 2040. Moreover, Hyundai Motor has not announced a plan to do so in emerging markets, which accounted for 32 per cent of its global sales in 2020.

“Hyundai Motor won a silver award at the Cannes International Advertising Festival with an advertisement drawing attention to the seriousness of the climate crisis while covering up the allegations of exhaust gas emissions manipulation. It is a practice of greenwashing.”

Source: Business Korea

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