EPA says VW cheating software is on more vehicles

Audi admitted that so-called defeat devices are present in the U.S. versions of its V6 TDI 3-liter diesel powertrains and promised to update software to bring the engines into compliance.

When the EPA first accused Volkswagen of installing cheat software on its 3.0-liters at the beginning of this month, VW reps vehemently denied the charges.

Analysts believe that VW could face steeper fines and more intense scrutiny from United States regulators and lawmakers in the near term.

However, this number could be far higher when you take in Europe, which includes Germany and the UK.

The Volkswagen emissions scandal deepened today after the vehicle manufacturer told USA regulators it involves models from 2009 – widening the scope of the probe by five years. Audi says it “has committed to continue cooperating transparently and fully, (and) the focus will be on finding quick, uncomplicated, and customer-friendly solutions”.

While Volkswagen has admitted that the illegal devices were on its smaller cars, it has not conceded that they are on the larger engines, despite the EPA’s allegations. Volkswagen uses the engine in the Toureg and Porsche and has used it in the Cayenne since model year 2013. The regulator also had given a “basic go” to a fix for 1.6-liter engines; the fix requires changes to the air filter and grille in addition to new software.

“We are operating in uncertain and volatile times and are responding to this”, Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said in a statement. Audi estimates installing the new software could reach into the “mid-double-digit millions of euros”.

That’s a violation of air-quality laws, he said. If the fix is approved, VW will work with regulators to develop a national recall plan, which could start early next year.

The meeting between company engineers and technical experts at EPA and CARB was a technical discussion “to talk through the violations so that both sides understand the data and the systems and the software”, Ward said.

Last week, the European Commission gave VW until the end of the year to provide information on its overstatement of fuel efficiency in some vehicles.