Germany Investigates Audi Emissions in Europe, Widening VW Inquiry -
By MELISSA EDDYJUNE 2, 2017
BERLIN — German prosecutors have widened a criminal investigation into Volkswagen’s Audi unit after authorities accused the luxury carmaker of installing a system designed to evade emissions rules in cars in Europe, a major shift for an inquiry
that has previously concentrated on the United States.
Audi said in a statement issued after the announcement
that it would begin recalling the vehicles starting in July to correct emissions levels of nitrogen oxide that can “exceed the limit by a factor of up to two.”
The Audis affected included software designed to ensure
that a urea solution that neutralizes the emissions was administered in high enough doses only in a controlled test-lab environment.
Munich prosecutors searched Audi offices in March as part of a criminal investigation into
Audi’s behavior in the United States, threatening a crucial source of badly needed profit.
The automaker has already agreed to pay $22 billion in penalties
and settlements in the United States and pleaded guilty to its vast emissions deception, which involved a variety of Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche-branded vehicles.