Volkswagen in US Mass Recall
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The German car manufacturer Volkswagen has been ordered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recall 500,000 cars manufactured from 2009 to date, on the basis that the cars contain a ‘defeat device’ which disguises the amount of emissions the car produces.
The devices allow the cars to detect when they were being tested for emissions and turn on a reduction feature which is turned off during ordinary use.
A spokeswoman for the US Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, a subdivision of the EPA, said that the use of the devices was “illegal and a threat to public health” as well as a contravention of the Clear Air Act. The recall is expected to cost Volkswagen up to $18 billion (£11.5 billion).
The device was discovered during independent testing at the University of West Virginia, and Volkswagen was confronted with the evidence by various bodies including the US Department of Justice, the California Air Research Board and the EPA.