Volkswagen offers software update for diesel vehicles

Volkswagen is offering a software update to reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions in more than 4 million Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles sold across Europe, under measures announced on Friday (4 August).

The German car-maker, which was at the heart of the scandal over the use of ‘defeat-devices’ in diesel cars to pass laboratory emissions tests, has announced a ‘comprehensive package of measures’ aimed at reducing NOx emissions in its diesel vehicles.

Volkswagen has agreed to update software on Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles

This will also include a trade-in incentive for Euro 1 – Euro 4 diesel models sold in Germany, which will apply across all brands in the Volkswagen Group, including Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, Å KODA, Porsche and Volkswagen Commercial vehicles.

Volkswagen Group has also pledged to install a software update on more four million Euro 5 and some Euro 6 diesel vehicles in order to reduce NOx emission levels.

This figure also includes around 2.5 million vehicles already being recalled, of which more than 70% have already been refitted, the car-maker said.

Software

In addition, the Volkswagen Group will be offering the software update to its diesel customers throughout Europe.

According to the company, the update will see NOx emissions from its Euro 5 and some Euro 6 diesel vehicles reduced by an average 25 to 30%.

The announcement came shortly after the conclusion of a ‘diesel summit’ between carmakers and German Federal, state and municipal governments.

Volkswagen’s chief executive, Matthias Müller, said: “With the incentive to trade in their vehicles we are giving our customers strong motivation to switch to a modern, more environmentally compatible vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine or an alternative drivetrain technology.

“This incentive can be implemented quickly and will have a swift, quantifiable and sustained effect on significantly reducing NOx emissions and significantly improving air quality.”

On Friday the former general manager of Volkswagen AG’s US Environment and Engineering Office, Oliver Schmidt, pleaded guilty pleaded to violating the Clean Air Act, over his role in the emissions testing scandal.

Mr Schmidt, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the US, to commit wire fraud and to violate the Clean Air Act; and to one count of violating the Clean Air Act.