VW HAS FIXED LESS THAN HALF OF DIESELGATE CARS
Volkswagen has fixed less than half of the vehicles affected by the dieselgate scandal, despite originally aiming to install all of the modifications by the end of 2016.
Speaking to the House of Commons Transport Committee, Volkswagen UK’S managing director, Paul Willis, said the company had fixed just 470,000 of the 1.2 million cars affected.
“At the current rate, we are applying these measures to 20,000 cars a week ,” said willis.
When Willis was called to answer MPS’ questions last year, he said he hoped the measures would all be in place by the end of 2016, but he revised that estimate to autumn 2017.
“By autumn time – i can’t really be more precise than that – we should have achieved what we hope to achieve, which is all the vehicles we committed to apply the technical measure,” he said.
Despite the delay, Willis declared himself pleased with the company’s progress in applying the fix.
“We are very pleased with that level of technical fix,” he claimed. “It’s not perfect, of course. I wouldn’t ever pretend it’s perfect. We’ve had some issues – small issues – but in the main we’re pleased.”
Asked why the project had been put back, Willis cited “small issues” such as cars that have had diesel particulate filters removed or performanceenhancing engine software added.
“There are some small issues around some of the vehicles. We’ve had some issues where some customers have been the second or the third or the fourth owner of the car. There have been some issues where unbeknown to them there has been chip-tuning of the car or removal of DPF filters and that is very problematic and somehowthat is de laying it a little bit .”
Willis insisted, though, that the delay would not make customers eligible for compensation.
“My company’s position on compensation is absolutely consistent and clear. After the fix, the vehicles are more or less the way they were. There is no loss, and therefore there is no legal basis for compensation.”