The German government last week set up a commission of inquiry on the scandal.
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Norway says it’s considering action against Volkswagen over the emissions-rigging scandal, with auto dealers in the Nordic region estimating that at least 500,000 cars could be affected.
With a new CEO at the helm, Volkswagen is trying to overtake of a controversy that became public on September 18 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen had to fix almost half a million cars with software rigged to bypass standards for air pollution.
VW, however, has not confirmed how the modifications of the affected vehicles will take place. “We can’t just shrug our shoulders and say, ‘yes, yes, but don’t do it again, ‘” he said Wednesday.
German prosecutors have also launched an investigation into the company’s former chief executive, and the company stands to lose billions after the scandal. Blume has been responsible for production and logistics at Porsche since 2013.
Wolfgang Schaeuble was quoted Wednesday as saying in an interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland group of newspapers: “We will emerge from this crisis stronger too. A lot will change from a structural perspective”.
Volkswagen said on Tuesday it would refit up to 11 million vehicles installed with the “cheat” software in one of the biggest such recalls by a single automaker.
Volkswagen announced plans on Tuesday to refit up to 11 million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand to try to move on from the scandal over its cheating on diesel emissions tests. It also includes 393,450 Audis, 76,773 SEATs, and 131,569 Skoda cars.
The Wolfsburg-based company insisted its vehicles – which have EA 189 engines fitted from around 2009 to this year – are “technically safe and roadworthy”.
The two EA189 engines – the 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI – are found in a few A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5 Audi models, but Ms Burgdorf said Audi Australia didn’t yet know the full effect of the software on Australian vehicles.
It will give the identification number of affected vehicles to retailers “in the coming days” and then customers will be contacted.
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It said the group brands will inform authorities in October how to they plan to fix the engine. “But I don’t think, when it comes to used (cars), that people are really bothered because it’s all down to price, and they’ve still got a good name in terms of reliability”.
