Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) is thinking about recalling more Volkswagen cars because of its emissions, scandal, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday.
The KBA has started an investigation into whether a software update for 1.2-litre engine cars, consisting of the popular Polo, allowed them to cheat emissions tests, the newspaper stated, without naming its sources.
The Bild am Sonntag stated prosecutors were planning charges against unnamed Volkswagen managers for alleged fraud, noting that the company had given assurances in 2016 that the 1.2 liter engines did not utilize illegal emissions cheating defeat devices.
VW has had to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles across the world since it admitted in September 2015 to installing illegal software in diesel engines to evade strict U.S. anti-pollution tests.
The KBA was considering forcing 30,000 impacted cars in Germany off the road, although it was more likely just to order additional remedial work, the newspaper stated. There are 370,000 of the models going through investigation in Europe in total.
Germany’s Transport Ministry, which oversees the KBA, stated it was aware of the allegations, but added that the KBA’s investigation was not yet concluded.
A Volkswagen spokesman stated internal quality controls for diesel vehicles with 1.2 liter engines, model EA189, had uncovered irregularities which were now being analyzed.
He stated Volkswagen had told the officials and the company was in continuous dialogue with them.
