SEAT has become the latest VW Group manufacturer to come clean on how many of its cars were affected by the dieselgate scandal.
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Volkswagen Ireland has pledged to inform up to 80,000 Irish drivers of diesel-engined, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda and Seat as to whether their vehicles need to be re-fitted to remove software used to distort diesel emission readings.
Volkswagen Group, Seat’s parent company, says 11 million of its cars are affected, including five million Volkswagen-branded cars, 2.1 million Audis, 1.2 million Skodas and 1.8 million Vans.
It has also suspended the sale and delivery of cars which contain the EA 189 engine which uses the software, with the suspension remaining in place until the vehicles have been shown to comply with current European Union legislation.
The scandal is continuing to hit VW’s share price. The company has lost 35% of its market value since last Monday.
German prosecutors have opened an investigation into Martin Winterkorn, the former boss of the world’s biggest carmaker, over the emissions scandal. In a statement, he said he was shocked by recent events, adding that although he did not believe he had done anything wrong, his departure was for the good of the company.
A criminal complaint brought against Volkswagen AG’s three Spanish affiliates and their chairmen accuses them of rigging emissions tests defrauding consumers and the tax authorities and damaging the environment.
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“There only remains a small stock of vehicle with this kind of motor in Spain, just a little more than 3,000 cars, and we’ve told showrooms to put these cars aside”, the spokesman said. “The Commission wants facts and wants to get to the bottom of this”.
