While Volkswagen met the last Friday’s deadline to submit its plan-roughly two months after the scandal broke in September-no timetable has been released for approval of any plan and completion of recall work on the TDI cars.
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Müller reportedly said that Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has signed off on a software update to fix vehicles carrying the affected 2-liter diesel motors.
Volkswagen has insisted its 3.0-liter diesels are not affected by the illegal “defeat devices” found on the 2.0-liter VW TDI engines. The improvements are expected to take an hour to complete.
Consumer groups have attacked a decision by Volkswagen to deny compensation to the British owners of cars involved in the emissions rigging scandal.
Volkswagen U.S. CEO Michael Horn testified before Congress in October that repairing all the vehicles in the US could take years and require complex solutions involving a mix of hardware and software.
Three pieces of software installed to help control the cars’ emissions systems weren’t properly declared in an application for approval, and one of them “is regarded as a defeat device according to applicable U.S. law”, Audi said.
It says the 1.6 liter engine will be fitted with a grid to improve the motor’s efficiency, taking less than an hour.
That said, Audi’s plan has yet to be approved by the EPA and CARB.
Embattled manufacturer Volkswagen has submitted what it claims is a fix for its controversial diesel powertrains to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and California Air Resource board.
All 3.0 liter V6 diesel engines developed by Audi for models including the A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 starting in 2009 will be able to become compliant with U.S. emissions regulations using only a software update, according to Audi via Automotive News. German regulators have approved the fix, VW said.
“The most unfortunate aspect of this news, in addition to the environmental harm, is that it slows VW’s ability to move beyond the negative headlines and start the rebuilding process”, said Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, a car-buying website. “The voluntary sales stop for models with the V6 TDI diesel engine, which the three affected Group brands had provisionally decided upon, has been extended until further notice”.
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“We already stressed in our statement from November 2 that Volkswagen will fully cooperate with the EPA to clarify the issue thoroughly”, the carmaker said Monday in an emailed statement.
