BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have launched an investigation into JAC on whether it was using unqualified pollution control devices on its truck engines, in the first such investigation by Beijing into a major Chinese automaker.
The Ecological Environment Bureau of Beijing announced the investigation on Sunday, according to a statement on its website. Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Corp, or JAC, told Reuters on Thursday that it would cooperate with the investigation.
The investigation will focus on whether the truck manufacturer used shoddy pollution control devices and sold vehicles that purportedly passed emission standards, a local environmental watchdog said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for JAC said the investigation was related to some of its light truck products, but she declined to share more details about the model or the name of the engine supplier.
China has launched a series of campaigns to make the country's large auto market cleaner, including offering generous subsidies to new energy vehicles (NEVs) and setting stricter emission standards for cars and trucks using combustion engines.
China has also vowed to take action against highly-polluting diesel trucks by imposing tougher fuel and engine standards.
JAC is China's eleventh-largest automaker by group sales, selling around 464,000 units last year.
The company, which offers a mix of commercial vehicles, including pickups and heavy duty trucks, also has an NEV joint venture with German automaker Volkswagen and makes electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs) for Nio.
(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh; Editing by Tom Hogue)
