Recalls to last 14 months

The Volkswagen Group says a recall of cars with software that can be used to evade emissions tests may start in Germany in January and last until the end of next year. The recall does not yet include cars in the US where the scandal erupted. Any call-back will have to be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which disclosed the rigging last month. The confirmation of the planned launch date of the recall of 2.8 million vehicles in Germany has been made by the company’s chief executive officer, Matthias Mueller, reports (AP). He says many of the cars being recalled will need software adjustments. Some may require mechanical fixes, such as new injectors or catalysers. “All cars should be in order by the end of 2016,” he adds. Mueller also says first results of an investigation indicate a few developers are responsible for the so-called defeat devices, but that only further investigation will settle how many company officials bear responsibility for the scandal. VW may need to set up temporary specialist workshops to deal with more complex cases. He says VW will have to fix the EA 189 diesel engines “in combination with various transmissions and country-specific designs so we don’t need three solutions but thousands.” Volkswagen says up to 11 million vehicles worldwide across several of its brands contain the diesel engine with the software used to cheat on emissions tests. It has elected long-time company executive Hans Dieter Poetsch as board chairman. Previously chief financial officer, he was nominated at the start of September before the scandal broke.