Volkswagen stops sales of thousands of UK cars in emissions scandal

VW admitted cheating in diesel emissions tests and the company’s German head office has estimated that 11 million vehicles with type EA 189 engines were affected globally.

Volkswagen later acknowledged that 11 million of its diesel cars are equipped with software created to activate emissions control systems only when the vehicles are undergoing tests.

USA lawmakers on Tuesday asked Volkswagen AG to turn over documents related to the company’s diesel emissions scandal, including records concerning the development of a software program meant to defeat regulatory emissions tests.

The statement said drivers would be contacted in due course with details of a process to rectify the problem, but reiterated that the vehicles are still “technically safe and roadworthy”.

It added it was “committed to supporting its customers and its retailers through the coming weeks”. “I have made clear to the managing director this needs to happen as soon as possible”, the minister said.

Those that contained illegal software will have to be refitted, the company announced – a move which a few analysts have said could cost more than £4.2bn ($6.5bn). Emissions can be up to 40 times higher under normal driving conditions, the watchdog said.

The scandal-hit auto company said the vehicles it is preventing from being sold amount to just 3% of its stock and all of them had not yet been registered.

According to the rough estimates, about 5mn VW brand cars, 2.1mn Audis and 1.2mn Skodas have been fitted with deceptive engine software.

“Under the action plan, the Volkswagen Group brands whose vehicles are affected will present the technical solutions and measures to relevant responsible authorities in October”.

A number of United Kingdom law firms claim they have been contacted by hundreds of motorists interested in a group action against VW.

He said: “A lot of people are talking about it but we’ve found very little impact on our day-to-day business”.

In addition, nearly 80,000 commercial Volkswagen vehicles on British shores will have to be recalled and fixed.