Volkswagen’s European market share shrinks in wake of emissions scandal

CEO Mueller says the recall of cars with the emissions-rigging software should start in January and that Volkswagen aims to fix them all by the end of next year.

German luxury carmakers BMW and Daimler posted double-digit increases, up 13 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

The sales of the entire Volkswagen Group, which also owns Audi, Porsche, Seat and Skoda, were down 3.5% in October. The Associated Press reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that cars with the 2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engines emit from 10 up to 40 times the allowable amount while being driven.

Volkswagen group European sales dropped 0.8% in October as compared to 8.3% in September.

Volkswagen’s group sales and market share in the European Union dipped in October, suggesting that the emissions scandal might have had an impact.

A Co Mayo motorist has filed a legal action against Volkswagen in what is believed to be one of the first Irish cases over the firm’s emissions scandal.

Jim Holder, editor of United Kingdom consumer magazine WhatCar?, said VW owners were “pissed off beyond belief” over the lack of communication from the company, which has yet to say which cars are affected by the Carbon dioxide irregularities. VW is now beginning the brand rehabilitation process with its first U.S.ad campaign since the news broke. “They need to get more personal – get on to owners sooner, say sorry and plead forgiveness”. “We still don’t have that level of detail from the market for October”.

Sales in China, Volkswagen single biggest market, grew 1.8% in October, but are 6.5% down so far this year. Sales in China, which account for almost half of Volkswagen brand sales, rose two per cent, but that was not enough to compensate for declines elsewhere. The company is struggling with weakening sales, especially in emerging markets.

“Across the region, new passenger auto registrations totalled 1,104,868 units, also supported by growth in the EU’s new member states (EU-12)”, added ACEA.

European auto sales were hit by fewer shopping days than the year before and weakness in the biggest European markets.

The European Commission said this was because of “technical limits” in the short-term improvement of diesel cars.

The offer is created to keep diesel owners happy as VW works on repairs to the cars, which are programmed to turn on pollution controls during government tests and turn them off while on the road.