VW receives approval for fixes on more than 800,000 cars

[FRANKFURT] Volkswagen has received regulatory approval for technical fixes on some models, it said on Friday, meaning it could now recall more than 800,000 of the 8.5 million cars affected by its diesel emissions scandal in Europe.

Germany's motor vehicle authority KBA has approved the proposed fixes for Passat, CC and Eos models with 2.0 litre TDI EA 189 engines, Volkswagen said on Friday.

The German carmaker, which triggered the biggest scandal in its history with last year's admission that it rigged US diesel emissions tests, has said that software updates on the affected 1.2-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre vehicles, as well as hardware fixes for about a third of the 8.5 million cars, would be completed by the end of the year.

It started a European recall of models in late January, but by late May only 50,000 cars had been fixed.

A source at VW had told Reuters that the KBA was concerned that the proposed fix to make the cars comply with emissions regulations would lead to an increase in fuel consumption for the Passat.

But VW said on Friday that the KBA had confirmed that the fixes would not result in any changes to fuel consumption, performance or noise emissions of the vehicles.

It said it expected to receive the approval for further high-volume models with the affected 2.0 litre TDI engine in the near future.

The launch of recalls of affected cars with 1.2 litre TDI engines, initially planned for the second quarter, will however be delayed, it said, without providing further details.

REUTERS