Volkswagen may buy back your dirty diesel

The head of Volkswagen brand said on Tuesday he was confident the German automaker will reach an agreement with United States regulators to bring almost 500,000 diesel vehicles into compliance with emissions laws. “Volkswagen’s cooperation with the states’ investigation has been spotty – and frankly, more of the kind one expects from a company in denial than one seeking to leave behind a culture of admitted deception”.

Embattled German auto giant Volkswagen on Friday rejected calls by consumer groups to buy back cars in Germany that were affected by the massive pollution-cheating scandal, as it reportedly plans to do in the United States.

The attorney’s frustration comes after Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen Group’s CEO at the time the scandal broke, told the public, “I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public”. To the New York Times, New York’s attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman said “Our patience with Volkswagen is wearing thin”.

The Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said on Friday that the company was not cooperating with the investigation.

Some U.S. regulators and lawmakers have said VW may have to buy back older models.

The automaker declined to say if it is withholding documents. These engines have been offered with urea injection for far longer than the smaller four-cylinder TDIs found in VW Group sedans, which would make their culpability here far more surprising.

You might think that after everything Volkswagen is going through as a result of the ongoing diesel emissions scandal that it would be done with diesels, at least in the USA where diesels are less popular than in Europe.

The accusation came only days after the US Justice Department had officially launched a civil lawsuit against the Wolfsburg-based lawmaker.

Mr. Jepsen said state AGs will “seek to use any means available to us to conduct a thorough investigation of Volkswagen’s conduct”.

EPA and the California board are also investigating whether 85,000 VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles with 3.0-liter diesel engines are violating clean-air standards.

“We haven’t identified a satisfactory way forward, but those discussions are going to continue”, Ms. McCarthy said Thursday.