Volkswagen given EU CO2 deadline

Key European regulators have given the Volkswagen Group just 10 days to deliver details of its admitted “irregularities” in certified CO2 emissions.

European Union Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete has written to Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller insisting that the car company would face sweeping penalties if details where not delivered within 10 working days.

Canete’s letter demanded Volkswagen turn over information on which models were involved in which countries and by how much the “irregularities” understated the CO2 and fuel consumption data. He also demanded that Volkswagen update all the official CO2 data within the 10-day window.

Müller last week admitted to the latest cheat after being tipped off personally by an internal whistleblower.

While Müller apologised for the cheat (which Volkswagen would only admit were “irregularities”), there promises to be enormous consequences at government level across Europe. Volkswagen has set aside another €2.2 billion to deal with the CO2 crisis alone, on top of the €7 billion it initially allocated for the Dieselgate scandal.

Official NEDC CO2 figures, cheated on by Volkswagen in an estimated 800,000 petrol- and diesel-engined Audi, Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen cars and SUVs, provide the basis for road taxation levels in most European countries.

Volkswagen has said it is already in high-level negotiations with the affected European countries to reach a settlement on taxation losses from the CO2 cheat.

The official CO2 figures are also added in to the mix for the EU’s fleet emissions targets for each car-maker, a breach of which could see Volkswagen facing even more fines.

Besides alienating European governments, Volkswagen’s latest $US50 million offer of $US1000 each to existing US customers has the potential to leave its European customers demanding the same reimbursement.

Dieselgate affects less than half a million cars in the US, versus almost 10 million in Europe.