VW boss apologises in United States for manipulating emissions

German newspaper Bild am Sontag has revealed in a recently-published story that beleaguered automaker Volkswagen (VW) has devised a catalytic converter that can fix the majority of its diesel vehicles hit by the diesel-emissions scandal a year ago.

“We have one (catalytic converter) in the works and we believe that will be a part of the technical solutions”, said Mueller.

Muller is meeting with Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy on Wednesday, but not to hammer out the details of a fix.

VW installed so-called defeat device software in diesel powered vehicles, apparently initially to allow some of its two-litre cars to meet strict U.S. standards on emissions of nitrogen oxides.

Earlier, an unnamed source close to the matter had told AFP that this option was on the table and that VW also plans to propose a new vehicle in exchange of the auto concerned.

“With today’s filing, we take an important step to protect public health by seeking to hold Volkswagen accountable for any unlawful air pollution, setting us on a path to resolution”, said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance at EPA.

“We will offer some solutions and then we will see how the reaction will be”, Mueller said. “We are looking forward to the talks on Wednesday with great confidence”, he said, citing “great progress” achieved in discussions with the EPA in past weeks.

The accusations from U.S. investigators come on the heels of reports that Volkswagen would have to buy back more than 100,000 Dieselgate cars in the United States, which has tougher NOx limits than Europe.

“We are not a criminal brand or group”, he said. Prosecutors in the city, near Volkswagen’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, have been leading the investigation into emission manipulation allegations in VW’s home country.

DETROIT, United States-Embattled German auto giant Volkswagen vowed Monday to reconquer the hearts of American vehicle consumers as it struggles to shift focus away from the still-unresolved emissions cheating scandal.

Mueller said the company is still working on a compensation plan for diesel vehicle owners through a fund to be administered by USA lawyer Ken Feinberg, who also managed the General Motors ignition-switch victim fund. Volkswagen’s executives went on to pledge to find a solution to the crises they were facing in the region, and put an end to the bad publicity they have continuously been subject to. It also is investing in production of the Tiguan CUV at its Puebla, Mexico, plant for 2017 and will begin producing Audi Q5s at a facility in San Jose, Mexico, in mid-2016.