Two million Audi vehicles have suspect emissions software

The German automaker admitted last week that it used special software to fool USA emissions tests for its diesel vehicles.

The prosecutor’s office in the city of Braunschweig announced that the investigation would focus on “allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data”.

“On the separate on-going debate about real world testing, the industry accepts that the current test method for cars is out of date and is seeking agreement from the European Commission for a new emissions test that embraces new testing technologies and which is more representative of on-road conditions”.

The Volkswagen emission scandal doesn’t seem to get over.

The spiralling scandal has tarnished VW’s name, left it exposed to up to 18 billion dollars (16 billion euros) in USA fines, and wiped a third off its stock market value in a week.

“The Volkswagen scandal was just the tip of the iceberg”, said Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at T&E.

The EPA said Friday it will test emissions at every automaker to make sure no other company is trying to dodge pollution regulations like Volkswagen did.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported Monday that Volkswagen had suspended the R&D chiefs of its core brand (VW), luxury division Audi and sports-car maker Porsche until the scandal was fully cleared up.

USA owners of Volkswagen TDI diesel cars are upset, angry, hurt, and betrayed.

“Following a number of legal suits, the public prosecutors in Brunswick have opened an investigation against Martin Winterkorn, the former chief executive of Volkswagen”, the German prosecutors said in a statement.

The company has said 11 million cars worldwide had defeat devices installed. The Italian Transport Ministry said it had sent a letter to Volkswagen and the main emissions tester in Germany to ask “if the anomalies found could also have been conducted on vehicles sold and tested in the European Union”.

Around the world, the affected Audi models include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3, and Q5, but the scope was more limited in the United States, where diesel cars are less popular.

She said: “Our clients still do not know definitively whether cars in the United Kingdom are affected, and if so which models”.

It must be noted that emissions tests and standards, both by the EPA and Europe’s EEA, are very specific with emissions and all cars, both gas and diesel, are allowed to exceed allowable emissions limits. All cars must complete a standard emissions test, which, unlike in the U.S., is independently witnessed by a government-appointed independent agency.

The depth of the company’s commitment to diesel engines, even in a USA market that showed little natural appetite for them, can be illustrated by one anecdote.

VW shares were down more than 5% at €101.7 (74.8p) in Frankfurt on Monday. That would cost $2,000 or more per auto, DeLorenzo said.