US Authorities Ask Volkswagen to Make Electric Cars: Reports
car&bike Team
1 min read
Feb 22, 2016, 03:53 PM
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked Volkswagen (VW) to manufacture electric vehicles in the German carmaker's plant in the United States in order to make up for rigging emission tests in its diesel cars, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported.
Some of Volkswagen's cars already feature electric or hybrid motors. It was not clear from the paper's report whether the EPA was asking VW to produce new models or existing ones.
The EPA is currently in talks with Volkswagen with the aim of agreeing on a fix for nearly 600,000 vehicles that emit up to 40 times legal pollution limits.
The paper, which gave no source for its report, said the EPA was asking VW to produce electric vehicles at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and to help build a network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the US.
Also Read - Emission Scandal: Mexico Issues Volkswagen $8.9 Million Fine
5 months after the emissions scandal broke in the United States, Europe's leading carmaker has yet to come up with a technical fix for almost 600,000 diesel cars, and is facing a growing number of legal claims.
"Talks with the EPA are ongoing and we are not commenting on the contents and state of the negotiations," a VW spokesman said. EPA declined to comment.
Also Read - Emission Scandal: Volkswagen Begins Recall of Diesel Cars in Europe
Meanwhile, German weekly tabloid Bild am Sonntag said Hans Dieter Poetsch, the chairman of Volkswagen's supervisory board, was summoned by German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt on February 16 to give an update on the carmaker's progress in tackling the crisis.
According to the article, Poetsch pledged Volkswagen would do everything to solve the crisis, regardless of how that might impact individuals and positions at the company.
A spokesman for Volkswagen confirmed that Poetsch and Thomas Steg, head of group government relations at VW, updated Dobrindt on February 16 on the status quo of its internal investigation, but declined to give details about the nature of discussions.
Volkswagen will present its final report on the crisis to law firm Jones Day in April, Bild am Sonntag said.
Volkswagen said last September, after the scandal broke, that 11 million of its vehicles worldwide had been equipped with the defeat devices.
Some of Volkswagen's cars already feature electric or hybrid motors. It was not clear from the paper's report whether the EPA was asking VW to produce new models or existing ones.
The EPA is currently in talks with Volkswagen with the aim of agreeing on a fix for nearly 600,000 vehicles that emit up to 40 times legal pollution limits.
The paper, which gave no source for its report, said the EPA was asking VW to produce electric vehicles at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and to help build a network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the US.
Also Read - Emission Scandal: Mexico Issues Volkswagen $8.9 Million Fine
5 months after the emissions scandal broke in the United States, Europe's leading carmaker has yet to come up with a technical fix for almost 600,000 diesel cars, and is facing a growing number of legal claims.
"Talks with the EPA are ongoing and we are not commenting on the contents and state of the negotiations," a VW spokesman said. EPA declined to comment.
Also Read - Emission Scandal: Volkswagen Begins Recall of Diesel Cars in Europe
Meanwhile, German weekly tabloid Bild am Sonntag said Hans Dieter Poetsch, the chairman of Volkswagen's supervisory board, was summoned by German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt on February 16 to give an update on the carmaker's progress in tackling the crisis.
According to the article, Poetsch pledged Volkswagen would do everything to solve the crisis, regardless of how that might impact individuals and positions at the company.
A spokesman for Volkswagen confirmed that Poetsch and Thomas Steg, head of group government relations at VW, updated Dobrindt on February 16 on the status quo of its internal investigation, but declined to give details about the nature of discussions.
Volkswagen will present its final report on the crisis to law firm Jones Day in April, Bild am Sonntag said.
Volkswagen said last September, after the scandal broke, that 11 million of its vehicles worldwide had been equipped with the defeat devices.
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