The latest twist in the emissions saga came as Switzerland temporarily banned the sale of Volkswagen diesel-engine models in the Euro5 category.
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VW sparked global outrage when it admitted that 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide are fitted with so-called defeat devices that activate pollution controls during tests but covertly turn them off when the auto is on the road.
And in the U.S., the Justice Department said it is taking the allegations against the company “very seriously” and announced an investigation. At least 34 lawsuits have already been filed in the U.S.by people claiming their cars are now less valuable because of the scandal.
“Mueller, 62, would represent part of the fresh start that Winterkorn said was needed when he stepped down”.
The cars met environmental regulations when tested on a dynamometer – a kind of treadmill for vehicles – in a laboratory.
The Vehicle Certification Agency in the United Kingdom is now to re-run lab tests and compare them with emissions on the road.
The embattled carmaker on Friday tapped Matthias Mueller – the 62-year-old chief of the VW Group’s luxury sports vehicle brand Porsche – to steer the world’s largest automaker by sales out of the crisis.
Mueller has vowed “to restore confidence in the Volkswagen Group – through an unsparing investigation and maximum transparency, but also by drawing the right lessons from the current situation”.
Matthias Müller was previously the Chairmain of Porsche AG, a VW subsidiary, and will remain in this position until a replacement is found.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the EPA further warned automakers that the process may add more time to secure a certification to sell new cars in the U.S.
Former CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned Wednesday, and the automaker has promised more personnel will face consequences for the developing dirty diesel scandal.
“We need a guarantee that cars of German manufacturers are in line with the norms, without manipulation”, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff Peter Altmaier told Der Tagesspiegel in an interview published on Sunday. The paper said the technician’s warning was mentioned at the time in an internal company document that the VW board examined last Friday.
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“We expect a binding timetable as to when there will be a technical solution, and by when it can be implemented”, the minister said. According to a report Saturday by German daily Handelsblatt, VW is planning to offer a free fix for the 11 million affected vehicles and customers will be contacted in the coming weeks.
