Regulators in California who have been empowered to conduct auto pollution emission tests have rejected a proposal from Volkswagen to fix vehicles that were involved in the company’s efforts to circumvent federal air quality standards.
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VW CEO Matthias Müller on Wednesday met with Gina McCarthy of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for about an hour to discuss the Volkswagen’s plans to recall around 600,000 2-liter diesel engine vehicles in the United States, which were fitted with software that allowed them to cover up excessive emissions.
It will continue its investigation and negotiations with Volkswagen to find an appropriate solution.
With billions of dollars mounting in federal fines, and no clear plan on the table as to how to address the ongoing emissions problems of those vehicles still on the road, the rejection of its proposal to shore up the damage may be the least of VW’s problems.
Though the EPA hasn’t formally issued its own denial of Volkswagen’s proposed fix plan, the fact that agency officials have said that they concur with CARB’s decision doesn’t bode well for the automaker.
Volkswagen’s chief executive is to report to a panel of senior supervisory board members this month on his progress in resolving a scandal over rigged emissions tests affecting up to 11 million vehicles, a person close to the matter said.
“We appreciate the time that Administrator McCarthy took to meet with us”, the company said in a statement. “The result is thousands of tons of nitrogen oxide that have harmed the health of Californians”.
“We made a priority decision to focus on heavy-duty diesel trucks at the time, and that’s why we didn’t catch it”, he said. “EPA has conveyed this to the company previously”.
An estimated 60,000 of the vehicles were sold in California.
“We are committed to working cooperatively with CARB and other regulators”. This rejection only applies to 2.0-litre diesels, not the 3.0-litre ones.
Mueller’s appearance in Detroit and in the nation’s capital marked his first trip to the U.S.in his new role as CEO. “We obviously have a keen interest in getting their legal issues solved so they can go back to selling cars”, Mr Haslam, whose state is home to a VW factory, said on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show.
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A response from Volkswagen stated: “Today’s announcement addresses the initial recall plans Volkswagen submitted to CARB in December”. He said: “We will bring a package together which satisfies our customers first and foremost and then also the regulators”.
