Volkswagen admits emissions scandal also includes CO2 and petrol engines
News
4 Nov 2015
The Volkswagen emissions crisis has spread further, with the company admitting that CO2 and mpg ratings were wrongly certified for around 800,000 petrol and diesel engines.
The news follows the revelation on 3 November that three litre engines were also effected. The original scandal surrounded the fact that defeat software had been used to cheat NOx emissions tests, and this is the first time the petrol engines have been brought under scrutiny and the first time CO2 emissions have also been brought into question.
Volkswagen found this issue as part of its ongoing internal investigation into the emissions of its vehicles and stands as another significant blow for the company, which saw its stocks drop a further ten per cent after the news broke.
Details of which cars could be effected and what countries they were sold in are not yet available.
The Volkswagen statement reads: “Under the ongoing review of all processes and workflows in connection with diesel engines it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process.
“In cooperation with the responsible authorities, Volkswagen will do everything in its power to clarify the further course of action as quickly as possible and ensure the correct CO2 classification for the vehicles affected.
“The safety of the vehicles is in no way compromised. A reliable assessment of the scale of these irregularities is not yet possible. An initial estimate puts the economic risks at approximately two billion euros.”
Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen, said: “From the very start I have pushed hard for the relentless and comprehensive clarification of events. We will stop at nothing and nobody. This is a painful process, but it is our only alternative. For us, the only thing that counts is the truth. That is the basis for the fundamental realignment that Volkswagen needs.
“The Board of Management of Volkswagen AG deeply regrets this situation and wishes to underscore its determination to systematically continue along the present path of clarification and transparency.”
