Probe into Porsche over petrol engine tests

Porsche AG is being investigated by Germany’s motor vehicle authority, KBA, over the suspected manipulation of petrol engines in emissions tests.

A KBA spokesman says the probe involves petrol engines produced by Porsche for the European market before 2017.

The luxury carmaker, a unit of Volkswagen, informed the authorities after internal investigations uncovered suspected irregularities.

German prosecutors fined Porsche €535 million (NZ$966m) in 2019 for lapses that allowed the company to cheat diesel emissions tests, but manipulation has not yet been proven for petrol engines, reports Reuters.

A Porsche spokesman says the company is working with authorities. The spokesman adds that the issues being looked at relate to older models and there were no indications current production was affected. 

German weekly Bild am Sonntag weekly says the investigation is focusing on engines developed between 2008 and 2013, with suspected illegal changes to hardware and software that could affect exhaust systems and engine components.