Volkswagen has fixed fewer than half of UK cars hit by diesel scandal
VW has not set a firm deadline to complete the work but hopes to have most of it done by the autumn
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Volkswagen said it has so far fixed fewer than half of the 1.2 million cars affected by the diesel emissions scandal in Britain, 18 months after the revelations first came to light.
The German carmaker admitted in September 2015 to using software to cheat diesel emission tests in the United States and has since paid out compensation to US motorists but has refused to do so in Europe.
In Britain, Europe’s second biggest autos market where Volkswagen is the top seller, the firm has faced pressure from lawmakers who have repeatedly questioned the brand’s managing director.
In a response to lawmakers’ latest letter, VW’s Paul Willis said the firm was nearly half way to fixing all models.
“We have implemented the technical measures in more than 540,000 UK vehicles,” Mr Willis told lawmakers in a letter dated 24 March, which was released on Friday. In February, he said the total stood at 470,000.
VW has not set a firm deadline to complete the work but hopes to have most of it done by the autumn.
Mr Willis also denied that any of the changes made had negatively affected the performance of vehicles, an issue at the heart of attempts by some law firms to take legal action against the company.
“The technical measures have been rigorously tested and the relevant authorities have confirmed that there is no adverse impact on the vehicles’ MPG, CO2 emissions, engine output, maximum torque and noise emissions,” he said.
Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments