Volkswagen admits using software to cheat emissions tests

Senior Volkswagen directors will decide on what action to take after the company was caught manipulating emissions tests.

The German carmaker has admitted that it used dodgy software on 11 million vehicles to deceive US regulators.

According to America’s Environmental Protection Agency, certain cars had devices that could tell when they were being emissions tested.

During the testing, the software would reconfigure the car’s performance to improve test results.

The device seemingly put the cars in a low-power, low-performance mode that reduced emissions.

When running normally however, the car engines were found to be emitting nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times the legal limit in the USA.

The “defeat devices” in question were found in a number of different vehicles, including the Audi A3, as well as VW’s Jetta, Beetle, Golf, and Passat.

Speaking to press, VW America’s boss Michael Horn said “we’ve totally screwed up”.

An official statement released by the company reads as follows:

“Further internal investigations conducted to date have established that the relevant engine management software is also installed in other Volkswagen Group vehicles with diesel engines. For the majority of these engines the software does not have any effect.”

It continues: “Discrepancies relate to vehicles with Type EA 189 engines, involving some eleven million vehicles worldwide. A noticeable deviation between bench test results and actual road use was established solely for this type of engine. Volkswagen is working intensely to eliminate these deviations through technical measures.”

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As a result of the scandal, Volkswagen has been forced to recall 500,000 cars across the US.

It’s had to set aside £4.7 billion to cover the costs of the recall.

However, the BBC notes that the EPA has the power to fine a company $37,500 per vehicle in breach of regulatory emissions standards.