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.
In addition to admitting that its Volkswagen-brand vehicles illegally evaded American emissions requirements, the company has said
that Audi cars sold in the United States had at least three devices that managed the vehicles’ pollution control systems but were not disclosed to regulators as required.
On top of what Volkswagen has already agreed to pay in fines
and settlements in the United States, Audi will pay $1.2 billion to settle a consumer fraud lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission involving about 80,000 Audi and Porsche vehicles with diesel motors.
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.
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.
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.