Swiss investigate possible sale of VW diesel cars in Switzerland

Volkswagen’s shares had previously slumped almost 20 percent on Monday.

Volkswagen’s CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn is apologizing profusely to the public as part of the efforts to regain the confidence of their customers.

It is unclear what will be the ultimate cost of the scandal to VW, which also faces a class-action lawsuit from buyers, but sales of affected versions of the relevant models have already been suspended in the United States and Canada.

As a result, Volkswagen’s stocks have plummeted more than 36 per cent, and other vehicle companies are feeling the heat as well; BMW’s stock plummeted more than 10 per cent, while Daimler, owners of Mercedes-Benz, fell more than 12 per cent.

In other words, the recall affects almost double the amount of cars Germany produced a year ago .

Horn’s presentation did not promote the environmental efficiency of the Passat’s “clean diesel” model, focusing instead on the vehicle’s new sensor technology to assist with parking and avoiding accidents.

“We are facing a case of blatant consumer deception and environmental damage”.

German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that he was setting up a commission of inquiry to determine whether the VW diesel vehicles were built and examined in compliance with German and European rules. The automaker is accused of rigging US emissions tests.

Yet the whole probe was kicked off by a small advocacy group with experience in testing whether diesel cars were meeting their legal obligations – and those tests suggest VW isn’t alone, something USA regulators will now pursue.

The German automaker’s Korean office declined to comment.

The federal Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, which regulates vehicle emissions standards, said it was waiting on clarification from Volkswagen Australia about whether its cars here featured the same software.

In a statement Tuesday, Volkswagen gave more details, admitting that there were “discrepancies” related to vehicles with Type EA 189 engines and involving some 11 million vehicles worldwide. Renault is considering holding demonstrations to prove that its diesel-powered cars meet European emissions standards, a person familiar with the situation said. This is bad news for the German economy, which powers Europe’s financial engine largely through its automotive sector.

General Motors Co. on Tuesday said it would continue to push a plan to popularize diesels in the US through its Chevrolet brand. That reorganization was due to be approved by Volkswagen’s supervisory board on Friday, along with his contract extension.

Mr. Winterkorn on Sunday said the company was cooperating with authorities and has commissioned an external probe.

Volkswagen said it is “working intensely” to solve the problem and that it “does not tolerate any kind of violation of laws whatsoever”. “This matter has first priority for me, personally, and for our entire board of management”.

Eric Sylvers and John Stoll contributed to this article.