Volkswagen’s been forced to recall its TDI models in quite a few countries other than the USA, but the latest recall comes from an unexpected place-India.
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A South Korean law firm said Tuesday it would request a USA university look into whether Volkswagen diesel vehicles installed with new engines here used software to rig emissions tests.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the central government and Volkswagen on a plea seeking ban on manufacturing and sale of its vehicles in India for allegedly flouting emission norms. It has now emerged that Volkswagen will be required to recall 3.23 lakh passneger cars in India (2,10,000 Volkswagen’s, 80,000 Skoda’s and over 30,000 Audi’s).
“Volkswagen Group India has presented its observations, findings and outlines of possible solutions on the EA 189 diesel engines to the Government of India – Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI. Once approved from the competent authorities, the respective brands of the Volkswagen Group in India will carry out necessary actions in a step-wise manner”, it said.
The scandal was first revealed when Volkswagen admitted to its misdoings on September 18, after the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) pulled it up after detailed investigations.
While the official statement had no mention of any technical fix for the cars affected by the recall, it is learned that the solution developed at the company’s head office in Germany will be applied to cars in India as well. Earlier, Additional Secretary in heavy Industries Ministry Ambuj Sharma had said that if proved of any wrongdoing in India Volkswagen may have to face criminal proceedings and fine besides the recall of vehicles. A communication program is being devised to reach out to the owners of cars with EA 189 engines through the group’s respective brands.
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It further claimed that the tests have found that the vehicles being manufactured, assembled and sold by Volkswagen and its subsidiaries are emitting up to nine times more NOx (nitrogen oxide) than permitted.
