Volkswagen AG must come up with a plan to recall 3-liter diesel models with emissions-cheating software to meet an order issued by the California Air Resources Board. It also imposed 14.1 billion won (12.3 million) in penalty fees.
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Modifying Volkswagen diesel cars sold in the United States will be more complicated because of stricter rules on emissions of nitrogen oxides, pollutants harmful to the environment and human health.
VW and Audi notified U.S. authorities last week that about 85,000 vehicles with 3.0 litre V6 diesel engines were fitted with emissions-control equipment that was not disclosed to USA regulators, Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler said.
The software at issue in the three-litre vehicles is significantly different than the software in the vehicles with smaller engines.
In addition to Volkswagen and Audi, the manufacturers or dealers that sell diesel cars in South Korea are: Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Samsung, Ssangyong, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Peugeot, Ford, Nissan, FCA Korea and Forza Motors Korea, which imports Ferrari cars.
Volkswagen in Germany is being asked to cooperate with courts in Australia so a class action over an emissions scam can proceed, a Sydney court has heard.
If so, Voelcker estimates such a fix would cost Volkswagen several thousand dollars per vehicle, possibly even leading the automaker to buy some of its cars back.
“This wasn’t an accident, this wasn’t a mistake, the Volkswagen Group perpetuated a fraud against millions of motorists globally, nearly 100,000 of which live here in Australia”, said the spokesman for the National Roads and Motorists’ Association, Peter Khoury. The software then switches off again, enabling cars to drive more powerfully on the road while emitting as much as 40 times the legal pollution limit.
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The ministry said it had not yet determined whether VW vehicles with the newer “EA288” engine – mainly Euro 6 models – had manipulated emissions. All measures in the course of the recall for all engines will extend over the entire year. VW faces an ongoing criminal investigation in the United States and could face fines of up to $21 billion for violating the Clean Air Act.
