The offers would be a gesture of goodwill to owners with 2-liter four-cylinder diesel engines that have been implicated in an emissions cheating scandal.
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By accepting the offer, vehicle owners will not be required to relinquish their right to participate in a class-action lawsuit, take legal actions on their own or give up any potential future compensation, Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan confirmed in an email. We are not sure, they may pay in the form of cash card that valued $500 or more, which can be used via Volkswagen dealer. “VW was over half the market for all diesel passenger cars sold in the U.S. That’s what they’re known for, so clearly, they want to change that image”, said Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell. Volkswagen disputes the EPA’s claim, saying the software was not meant to thwart emissions testing. All in all, Volkswagen lost $1.84 billion due to the scandal, marking its first loss in 15 years. The company says about 11 million cars worldwide have the software.
Volkswagen admitted last Tuesday that it had underreported carbon-dioxide emissions on 800,000 diesel- and gasoline-powered cars in Europe.
Road testing doesn’t mean the end of lab testing, though: lab tests will stay as the official benchmark to meet emissions standards; the road testing is just to weasel out the cheaters.
A group of European investors has written to EU policymakers urging them to restore trust in the auto industry in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal by tightening vehicle testing procedures and adopting ambitious new vehicle emissions targets.
“We are very anxious to find out if there are any other programs out there”, said Christopher Grundler, director of the office of transportation and air quality at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Europe’s biggest motor manufacturer admitted in September it had rigged diesel emissions tests in the United States to mask the level of emissions of health-harming nitrogen oxides.
The program is, for now, restricted to the 2.0-liter TDI engines found in post-2009 Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, Beetle and Passat models and Audi A3 diesels but could later be expanded to the 3.0-liter engines found in larger VWs, Audis and Porsches, the magazine said.
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Volkswagen is encouraging its rank and file staff to cooperate with its internal investigation by promising not to fire or sue them for any misconduct although high-level managers would still be held to account, a person familiar with the matter said.
