Audi suspends engineers implicated in emissions scandal

Audi said that it has launched an investigation in order to get to the bottom of the problem.

Hong Dong Gon, a director at the Ministry of Environment, said in a live television broadcast that the ministry will continue investigating 30,000 other Volkswagen diesel cars for which it did not find evidence of emissions cheating.

The automaker also said on Wednesday that eight employees – fewer than some news outlets had reported – had been suspended in connection with an internal investigation to determine who chose to install illegal software in the vehicles. Audi already stated it would resubmit a revised version of the software, which it hadn’t originally disclosed for regulatory review.

Later, Volkswagen Chief Executive Matthias Muller revealed a plan to recall cars with defeat device, beginning from January. The so-called defeat device made it appear that diesel-powered Volkswagens were emitting less nitrogen oxide than they actually did.

The global scope of the scandal has put Volkswagen under intense financial pressure. The current crisis raises questions about his ability to grasp the complex technology issues in a crisis that is rooted in the company’s engineering culture. The vehicles to be recalled contain the diesel engines which produce emissions greater than allowed, according to Reuters.

CEO Matthias Mueller expects costs from fixing affected cars to be “technically, mechanically and financially manageable”.In a statement, Volkswagen said Tuesday (November 24) that it is “cooperating with the authorities” working on the investigation.

It says the 1.6 liter engine will be fitted with a grid to improve the motor’s efficiency, taking less than an hour.

The cars sold in Korea with EA189 engines are the Jetta 2.0 TDI, Q5 2.0 TDI SUV, CC 2.0 TDI, Tiguan 2.0 TDI SUV, Golf 2.0 GTD, Golf 2.0 TDI, Golf 1.6 TDI BMT, Beetle 2.0 TDI, Sirocco R-line 2.0 GTD, Passat 2.0 TDI and Audi A4 2.0 TDI. Volkswagen used to be the biggest auto manufacturer in Europe. Audi, VW’s luxury brand, has now suspended two engineers after its larger diesel engines were found evading emissions limits in the United States. Some cars may be fixed with a software update.