German auto giant Volkswagen
will formally begin recalling cars in
the country from July 2016 to fix emission software. To begin with the company will recall 198,500
cars in the country next month to fix emission software, according to a report
by wire agency PTI.
This is presumably part of the
overall recall announced by the company in December 2015 wherein Volkswagen
Group India had announced a voluntary recall for updating all cars with EA 189
engines in the Indian market. Approximately 323,700 cars of Volkswagen, Skoda
and Audi in India are equipped with EA 189 diesel engines, the press note from
VW had stated.
Read Volkswagen voluntary
recall Report
In the December press note
issued by the company, it had stated Volkswagen Group India has presented its
observations, findings and outlines of possible solutions on the EA 189 diesel
engines to the Government of India – Ministry of Heavy Industries and ARAI
(Automotive Research Association of India). The recall will encompass cars from
the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda model range which carry the software that
requires to be updated.
As per the records of
Volkswagen Group India, from 2008 till end of November 2015, approximately
198,500 cars from Volkswagen, 88,700 cars from Skoda and 36,500 cars 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.
The emissions scam exploded globally
when the EPA issued a notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) to
Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. alleging that the
four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars from model years 2009-2015
included software that circumvented EPA emissions standards for certain air
pollutants. California separately issued an In-Use Compliance letter to
Volkswagen, and EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) both
initiated investigations based on Volkswagen’s alleged actions.