The transport watchdog has told car importers to say which models had built-in software that ‘deceived’ testers into believing vehicles met environmental standards.
This follows the scandal that rocked the world’s largest car manufacturer, Volkswagen.
German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said yesterday emissions manipulations by Volkswagen took place in Europe, not just in the United States.
“We have been informed that also in Europe, vehicles with 1.6 and 2.0 litre diesel engines are affected by the manipulations that are being talked about,” Mr Dobrindt told reporters, adding it was unclear how many vehicles in Europe were affected.
The German car giant admitted on Tuesday that about 11 million vehicles worldwide could have been affected.
Known as a ‘defeat device’, the software was designed to cut certain emissions in diesel engines by up to 40 times when the car was subjected to official testing.
When the Times of Malta asked for its reaction, Volkswagen importer Continental Cars refused to say whether vehicles on Maltese roads could have the software too. Such information is now sought by Transport Malta: “Transport Malta has communicated with local importers and has requested official information about vehicles that may be affected. This information will help with the necessary checks,” a spokesman said.
He added the watchdog was monitoring developments through its international partners and would discuss the way forward in line with established EU practices.
Though the scandal surfaced in the US, it immediately prompted calls for tighter controls in Europe where diesel cars account for nearly half of the market share.
Meanwhile, customers and car dealers all over the globe have called for speedy action as the Wolfsburg-based manufacturer has not yet ordered a recall or said which models were involved.
The only details that have emerged so far were released by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which said that Jetta, Beetle, Audi A3, Golf and Passat models manufactured between 2009 and this year had been affected.
Additional reporting by Reuters