France Charges Volkswagen, Former CEO Over 'Dieselgate' Scandal

In a statement a day after French rival Renault announced it had also been charged in the inquiry, Volkswagen denied causing any "harm" to French consumers.

German automaker Volkswagen said Wednesday that it has been charged in France over alleged cheating on emissions testing, as its former CEO was accused in Berlin of making false statements over the "dieselgate" scandal. In a statement a day after French rival Renault announced it had also been charged in the inquiry, Volkswagen denied causing any "harm" to French consumers. A source close to the investigation said it had been charged last month with "deceit over substantial qualities of a product, resulting in a danger for human and animal health." A court has ordered it to post 10 million euros ($12.2 million) in bail as well as a bank guarantee of 60 million euros -- the same required of Renault -- to cover potential compensation payouts, the source said.