Korea: VW rigged emissions in 125K diesel vehicles

Known as a “defeat device”, it works by making diesel-powered Volkswagen cars seem like they’re emitting nitrogen oxide in a less harmful level.

VW and Audi notified United States authorities last week that about 85,000 vehicles with 3.0 litre V6 diesel engines were fitted with emissions-control equipment that was not disclosed to United States regulators, Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler said.

In September, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen saying that its four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars belonging to model years 2009-2015 featured software that cheated the EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants.

Volkswagen should submit detailed recall plans to the ministry by January 6, including how to enhance emissions results and maintain fuel efficiency after removing the software in question.

Even though the 3.0 liter engine was designed by Audi, all of VW’s brands that used it, including Porsche and VW, are responsible, Hebert’s letter said, since “they independently certified their products”.

The engines in question were built by Audi and distributed to Porsche and Volkswagen as well, said David Clegern, a California Air Resources Board spokesman.

South Korea’s move follows mass recall in US and other parts of the globe, as the automaker admitted a defeat device to cover up actual emissions during testing.

The ministry said it will continue to run additional tests on models equipped with the EA288 engine.

It also fined Volkswagen Korea 14.1 billion won ($12.31 million), the steepest financial penalty imposed on an automaker in Asia’s fourth-biggest economy, a decision that could scare some buyers off imported cars generally.

Audi is now investigating whether employees in the business’s technical department, and elsewhere, deliberately manipulated the emission control devices.

A logo of Volkswagen is seen at a dealership in Seoul, South Korea, October 5, 2015.

Volkswagen Korea said recall details would be announced by Volkswagen headquarters.

Those investigations will be completed by April, the ministry said. Parent Volkswagen Group has faced most of the criticism for implementing “defeat” software to circumvent emissions regulations in the U.S. and overseas.