Emission scandal: VW recalls 3.23 lakh vehicles in India

Girja Shankar Kaura

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

As the government today said action will be taken against automobile maker Volkswagen in accordance with applicable national laws, the German auto major will recall 3.23 lakh vehicles in India as fallout of its worldwide emission scandal.

The move has come after the meeting the company executives had with the officials of the Department of Heavy Industries today after the submission of report by apex automotive testing agency ARAI.

The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) found that diesel cars manufactured in India by Volkswagen having E189 engine were fitted with the “defeat device”, which may lead to excess nitrogen oxide emission levels in on-road 

vehicles.

In a statement issued later in the evening, the German automaker said it would recall 3,23,700 cars which encompass cars from the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda model range which carry the software that requires to be updated.

The Volkswagen Group India will first present the technical released solution to Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI.

Once approved from the competent authorities, the respective brands of the Volkswagen Group in India will carry out necessary actions in a step-wise manner. The existing installed software does not affect the handling, technical safety or roadworthiness of the cars.

The company said as per its records from 2008 till end of November 2015, approximately 198,500 cars from Volkswagen, 88,700 cars from Škoda and 36,500 from Audi across various models sold in India have been equipped with the EA 189 engines which include 1.2-litre, 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines.

All the owners of vehicles with EA 189 engines will be informed by Volkswagen Group India through the respective brands about the technical measures that will be implemented in their cars. All necessary technical measures will be implemented in the vehicles at no cost to the customers.

Fitment of such a device may lead to excess NOx emissions on road, the minister said adding that at the moment, there are no specific norms or limits for measuring on road mass emissions coming out of cars.

VW has already admitted that 11 million diesel engine cars worldwide were fitted with the software that helped in manipulating emission tests. It faces fine of up to $18 billion in the US.