VW India to submit emission scandal report by end-November

The effects of the Volkswagen emissions scandal are having their impact in India. Volkswagen Group India representatives met officials from the Ministry of Heavy Industries and testing agency Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) yesterday.

Volkswagen India, which has been evaluating the impact of the worldwide emission scandal on its cars in the country, said that it will present the results from its evaluations by the end of November 2015. A press statement issueed by the company said: “Since there is a complex combination of several brands, various models, different engine variants and gearboxes as well as different model years that need to be analysed, establishing detailed facts is taking a longer time. Volkswagen Group India will present its results from the evaluations by the end of November 2015. During this period, the company representatives will stay in regular touch with ARAI to keep the authorities updated on the analysis. The next steps will depend on the findings from these evaluations.”

Volkswagen’s India arm was put under the scanner after the Indian government directed ARAI to ascertain if the company had rigged emission tests in the country and whether the same ‘cheat software’ that led to the global VW recall of 11 million vehicles was involved.

On September 8, the German carmaker was caught manipulating vehicle emission tests in the United States, following which it admitted that as many as 11 million vehicles across the globe could be affected. This includes 5 million Volkswagen branded cars, 2.1 million Audi vehicles and 1.2 million cars from Skoda and 700,000 from Seat (not available in India). 1.8 million VW light commercial vehicles are also part of the affected lot of vehicles. All these vehicles are fitted with the Type EA 189 diesel engines which have been found manipulation test results with the help of a 'cheat software’.

In India, VW’s Polo hatchback, Vento sedan and Skoda’s Rapid sedan are powered by the 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine from the same EA 189 family. 

More on Volkswagen emissions scandal:

- Volkswagen boss Müller sets out new priorities for recovery

- Volkswagen reports losses in third quarter of 2015

- Are Made-In-India cars affected?

- Group suspends former diesel engine boss

- Company to cut investments by €1 billion per year

- Carmaker's UK boss confirms EU emissions test results were affected

- The routine study that led to the discovery of the VW scandal

- Company chalks out plan to refit cars affected by emission scandal

- 6 things the carmaker could cut

- 11 million vehicles worldwide could be affected