Volkswagen AG said Tuesday that about 11 million cars are affected globally by software in diesel engines that purposely skirted emissions tests in the U.S.
DETROIT, MI - Volkswagen AG said Tuesday that about 11 million cars are affected globally by software in diesel engines that purposely skirted emissions tests in the U.S.
On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen admitted to circumventing emissions tests for a half million diesel cars in the U.S., by using so-called "defeat devices" that would detect when the vehicles were being tested and adjust emissions to meet EPA standards.
Volkswagen said the cars in question have a Type EA 189 engine. In the U.S., the engine is found in 482,000 of these models:
* Jetta (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Beetle (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Audi A3 (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Golf (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Passat (Model Years 2014-2015)
The Germany automaker has since frozen sales of those cars, and said it is working with relevant authorities to correct the engine's "deviations" between bench tests and actual road results for its emissions.
The company also is setting aside 6.5 billion euros, or about $7.3 billion, to cover "necessary service measures and other efforts to win back the trust of our customers." It will incur the charge during the current quarter.
Volkswagen AG's stock has taken a beating on the German DAX index this week following the revelations over the weekend, falling nearly 20 percent Monday and Tuesday.
Volkswagen also could face civil penalties for the violations, with some reports putting the potential fines as high as $18 billion.
A congressional panel will be held in the coming weeks on revelations that Volkswagen has been tricking U.S. emissions tests for nearly half a million of its cars with diesel engines.
Michigan Congressman Fred Upton, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced the hearing alongside Pennsylvania Congressman Tim Murphy.
The cars in question meet emissions standards tests in a laboratory or testing station, but in normal operation, they emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard, according to the EPA.
The software used to pass the lab tests is defined as a "defeat device" by the Clean Air Act, a 1963 law aimed at controlling air pollution in the U.S.
The EPA and the California Air Resources Board uncovered the defeat device software after independent analysis at West Virginia University raised questions about the cars' emissions levels.
The EPA said after demanding an explanation from Volkswagen the German automaker admitted this month that the cars contained defeat devices.
Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn on Sunday issued an apology.
"The Board of Management at Volkswagen AG takes these findings very seriously," Winterkorn said. "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public."
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.