Vehicles affected by the 3.0-liter V6 “defeat” system are already outfitted with a urea-injection system to mitigate NOx emissions.
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The allegation involving six-cylinder diesels means that more Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche owners could face recalls of their cars to fix the software, and VW could face steeper fines and more intense scrutiny from US regulators and lawmakers.
The US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board agreed to let Volkswagen seek approval for a revised version of software in 85,000 diesel engines that had been targeted in the latest probe by US regulators, the company said.
The announcement is surprising because the Wolfsburg-based auto maker flatly denied the EPA’s allegations earlier this month. Previously the cars were only meeting emissions guidelines in lab tests and ignoring them while on the open road.
The upscale brand of embattled German auto giant Volkswagen “estimates that the related expense will be in the mid-double-digit millions of euros”, the company said in a news release.
Volkswagen says it has found technical solutions for more than 90 percent of the vehicles affected in Europe.
And a statement from the EPA obtained by industry paper Automotive News combined with comments from Audi of America spokesman Jeri Ward, suggests Volkswagen has given the Agency no reason to avoid such investigations. That is in stark contrast to the massive and expensive recall that Volkswagen has to do for 500,000 vehicles using its 2.0-liter diesel engine. A high-ranking Audi delegation traveled to the US last week to discuss the issues with regulators, revealing that the software targeted by the EPA, known as an auxiliary emissions control device, was present in older models.
According to a new video, Volkswagen plans to bring its errant engines back in line with a software upgrade and a new filter.
The costs of recalling and fixing the affected vehicles is just one small part of VW’s potential exposure, of course. For the 1.2-liter diesel engine, KBA will get the proposed measures by end-November, and likely a software update will suffice, Mr. Mueller said.
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Audi is “committed to continue cooperating transparently and fully”, the statement said, with a goal of “finding quick, uncomplicated and customer-friendly solutions” to make the cars legal again.
