VW likely to buy back some affected cars in United States, report says

A German newspaper has reported Volkswagen Group “assumes it will have to buy back about 115,000 cars in the United States”, according to Reuters.

Confirming that up to 11 million VW Group cars are affected by this issue, Dr Diess noted that the company has for the large majority of the cars already worked out approved solutions.

Allegedly, VW’s options are to either refund the customers or offer them a new vehicle at a significantly lower price.

That being said, he said the company is working hard to present an acceptable package to USA authorities, CARB (California Air Resources Board) and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

Meanwhile, in Europe, over 8.5 million Volkswagen vehicles are in need of the same treatment. We greatly appreciate their help and I am optimistic that we will gain their approval within the coming weeks, and months. The company has thus far denied findings by USA regulators that another so-called “defeat device” was also included in a smaller number of diesel vehicles with 3.0 liter engines. Ruth Higgins, a lawyer for Volkswagen, said that the system affected the operations of the auto but did not generate nitrogen oxide above those permitted by law in testing.

Volkswagen is also being sued by the U.S. Justice Deparrmtent over the scandal, which may end up costing the German automaker $48 billion.

Volkswagen’s core brand suffered its first fall in sales in more than a decade a year ago and the carmaker said that markets will remain “challenging” in 2016 as it battles to contain the damage from its emissions scandal. VW’s vehicles weren’t equipped the traps; the automaker now is considering retrofitting some of its vehicles.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Justice Department filed a separate civil complaint against Volkswagen, carrying potential fines of up to $45 billion, on behalf of the EPA.

It could have been the comeback of the Volkswagen bus, but instead the concept that VW unveiled in Las Vegas is another nice little electric van that would be years away from production, if it’s ever built at all.

“This is what WV electric cars will look like in the future”, Diess said.

Volkswagen admitted in September that it rigged the software of 482,000 diesel cars beginning in 2009 to pass USA emissions tests.

On Friday, Volkswagen says its global sales fell two per cent a year ago as it struggled with the scandal over the rigged cars.