The company is not discussing exactly how it will address the emissions issue, either in Europe or in North America, but says fixes can involve “software as well as hardware measures”, depending on the model.
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Volkswagen will conduct a sweeping recall in the European Union of millions of vehicles tied to the so-called “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.
However, given that a bulk of Volkswagen’s sales occurred before the full extent of the diesel emissions scandal came to light, the company retained the lion’s share of the vehicle market in the region.
A few of the cars fitted with the illegal software created to cheat nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission tests will only require a software update, while others will need new or rebuilt engine parts.
Regulators have not yet determined whether the code is a defeat device installed specifically to cheat on emissions tests, said Janet McCabe, acting assistant EPA administrator for air quality.
The company has launched a thorough investigation into the scandal, but new chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch has warned that answers would take “some time”.
The revelations have sparked probes in several countries, and Italian police Thursday raided the company’s offices in the country and placed six executives under investigation.
France said on Wednesday it planned to reduce a tax break on diesel fuel.
While Volkswagen Group reported an increase in European sales in September in spite of the emissions scandal which broke mid-month, the picture is not quite as rosy for the German automaker in Canada.
“We will significantly streamline structures, processes and [decision-making] bodies”.
Volkswagen stated that it supports the KBA’s “swift decision” for the mandatory recall.
Promising to streamline the business structure he said: “Our competitors are only waiting for us to fall behind on technology matters because we are so preoccupied with ourselves. But we won’t let that happen”, he added.
The KBA has also established deadlines for Volkswagen’s recall: technical details on the repairs must be submitted for review by mid-November, and the recall must begin in January.
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“Just for reasons of customer satisfaction alone, Volkswagen should allow this”, the head of the German Association of Independent Garages, Manfred Kaufhold, told dpa on Friday.
