Audi rigging scandal shock
2.1 million vehicles have suspect software – manufacturer
VOLKSWAGEN AG’s upmarket Audi brand says 2.1 million of its vehicles are among those with engines affected by the emissions-rigging scandal. Audi said yesterday that the engine in question was built into 1.6-litre and 2-litre turbo diesel models in the A1, A3, A4, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5 ranges, news agency dpa reported. The cars involved have engines in the “euro 5” emissions category; those with the newer “euro 6” engines aren’t affected by the emissions scandal.
Volkswagen said last week that 11 million vehicles worldwide contain software involved in the emissions-rigging scandal, and later added that five million of those were cars produced by its core VW brand. The group hasn’t yet given a full listing of what cars were involved.
A European environmental organisation says it has found some new models of Mercedes, Volkswagens, BMWs and other new cars consume much more gasoline than lab tests claim.
The organisation, Transport & Environment, said yesterday it had found no proof the cars are equipped with the same sort of “defeat devices” installed on diesel-powered Volkswagens to enable them to cheat on emissions tests.
But the group called on European Union governments to broaden their probes into the “defeat devices” to cover gasoline cars as well.
Transport & Environment said, according to its research, the gap between lab test results for fuel economy and real-world performance rose last year to 40 percent on average, from 8 percent in 2001.
It said the difference for Mercedes A, C and E class models was more than 50 percent.
German prosecutors have started an investigation against former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn.
The investigation will focus on “allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data”, the Braunschweig-based prosecutor’s office said yesterday.
Winterkorn quit last Wednesday after almost nine years at the helm of Europe’s largest carmaker, saying he had no knowledge of manipulation of emissions results.
The German government had no prior