India orders probe into Volkswagen; cars to be tested for emission level

A report by the PTI states that the Government has asked the ARAI to investigate if VW India partook in the emissions manipulation scandal, which affects over 11 million VW Group vehicles globally.

When asked if ARAI would pick up random samples to test, she said: “We are yet to decide on that”.

“We have written to the ARAI to find out whether Volkswagen is selling the same models in India that have been found violating USA rules”, Ambuj Sharma, additional secretary at the ministry of heavy industries, reportedly said.

When contacted, a Volkswagen India spokesperson declined to comment further, stating “the investigations are still running”.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries is writing to Volkswagen India to ascertain whether it has been following the same practices as its American counterpart with regard to emission tests. A spokesman at the Transport Ministry was not immediately reachable for a comment.

The allegations against Germany’s largest auto maker were initially raised by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which last week ordered it to recall almost half a million diesel cars fitted with a device that allowed cars to pass emission control tests by showing much lower levels of pollution than in ordinary use.

Volkswagen also faces probes in Europe and South Korea. Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also said Friday that it is making enquires “to determine if consumers might have been exposed to misleading claims”, Reuters reported.

However, on Friday – two days after Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down – the shares recovered slightly. The software, which was installed within the ECM, could detect if the auto was undergoing an emissions check, and would run the vehicle on lower emissions.