VW scandal: Now Audi admits millions of its vehicles use cheat software

Audi says 2.1m of its cars were fitted with emission cheating software, as Volkswagen is said to have suspended the research and development heads of three divisions. The luxury car brand, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, has admitted that millions of its vehicles with so-called EU5 engines have an emissions “defeat device” installed. Newer cars with EU6 engines aren’t said to be affected. The news comes as reports suggest the R&D chief of Audi, along with those of Volkswagen’s core passenger car division and sports car maker Porsche, is reported to have been put on leave.

He (Muller) knows the group and its brands well and can immediately engage in his new task with full energy.

Berthold Huber, interim chairman of the company’s supervisory board

It emerged over the weekend that senior figures at VW were warned two years ago of the cheat devices, which are able to fool emissions tests. Some 11m vehicles worldwide have bene fitted with the software. The scandal, which has led to a raft of lawsuits and the prospect of the German company being fined billions, has already seen former chief executive Martin Winterkorn quit, to be replaced by Matthias Muller. Also on Monday, a European environmental organisation said it had found evidence that some new models Mercedes, BMWs and Volkswagen cars are consuming up to 50% more gasoline than lab tests have suggested.

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