Volkswagen has apologised and ordered an external investigation to find the deception on US emissions tests to make its vehicles appear less polluting.
Martin Winterkorn, chief executive of the German carmaker added: “I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public. We will co-operate fully with the responsible agencies, with transparency and urgency, to clearly, openly and completely establish all of the facts of this case.”
The Environmental Protection Agency declared that many of Volswagen Passat, Beetle and Audi A3 sold in US market has milead the testing laboratory.
The authorities ordered VW to recall 482,000 cars because of the use of defeat devices that produces pollutants up to 40 times and reduces nitrogen oxides.
Volkswagen now has to proceed a process to fix the cars’ emissions systems. But the costs of the recall campaign is $37,500 per vehicle.
Owners of cars of models covering the 2009-2015 period do not need to take any action, the Environmental Protection Agency said.
