1.2m UK Volkswagen vehicles must be ‘corrected’

Norway’s economic and environmental crimes unit Okokrim launched an investigation last week to determine whether Volkswagen had also used defeat device software for cheating on emissions tests in its diesel vehicles in the Nordic country.

While the majority of those vehicles are in western Europe, which has more lax pollution restrictions than the United States, as many as 13,000 are now on American roads.

The EPA cited VW’s response when it announced the violations of the Clean Air Act and ordered the carmaker to recall 482,000 Audi and VW vehicles in the U.S.

The minister said he believes that even if the scandal causes a drop in production, the Hungarian plant will be less affected by repercussions because the facility is “one of the Volkswagen Group’s most modern plants”.

Volkswagen has said it will give the vehicle identification number of affected vehicles to retailers “in the coming days” and customers will then be contacted. New vehicles compliant to Euro 6 emissions standards are not affected. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “It is outrageous consumers and government have been misled over vehicle emissions and we must have immediate answers and redress from the manufacturers involved”.

As reported earlier today, the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal includes about 2.1 million Audi models worldwide, with about 14,000 making it to America. In real world driving, the cars spew up to 40 times the legal emissions. Volkswagen’s market value has plummeted by $25 billion since news of the scandal broke less than two weeks ago and former chief executive Martin Winterkorn resigned. “All vehicles are technically safe and roadworthy”.

“Under the action plan, the Volkswagen Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to relevant responsible authorities in October”.

“We also want the rest of the vehicle industry to swiftly set out whether their tests have been manipulated and if their customers have been misled”.