German auto major Volkswagen, which is embroiled in a global emissions scandal, on Thursday submitted a road map before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to recall 323,700 vehicles fitted with a ‘defeat device’ meant to fudge emission tests in India.
The road map was submitted in pursuance to the NGT’s direction passed on Wednesday. The automobile giant is in the process of recalling several million cars across the globe.
A ‘cheat’ or ‘defeat device’ is a software in diesel engines to manipulate emission tests by changing the performance of the cars. Volkswagen India had in December 2015 announced the recall of 323,700 vehicles in India to fix the emission software. This happened after the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) conducted tests on some models and found their on-road emissions were 1.1 times to 2.6 times higher than the applicable BS-IV norms.
The automobile giant had admitted to the use of ‘defeat device’ in 11 million diesel engine cars sold in the US, Europe and other global markets, that allowed manipulation of emissions tests by changing the performance of vehicles to improve results.
The NGT Bench headed by Judge Jawad Rahim on Wednesday said “The counsel for Respondent No. 4 to 7 (Volkswagen) submits that in compliance of the order dated February 17, they have prepared a road map and would be filing the same by Thursday. He should file it by Thursday positively, with copies to all the counsels in this case.” An advocate associated with the petitioners in the case said that a copy of the road map has been served to them.
The matter was fixed for hearing on September 5.
Earlier, after the tests by ARAI, Volkswagen India had undertaken to rejig the software by recalling about 323,700 vehicles fitted with EA189 diesel engines which were in alleged violation of emission norms.
The company, however, said that the recall in India was purely voluntary in nature as it did not face any charges regarding violation in India, unlike in the US. The counsel for the car manufacturer had told the NGT that ARAI — which is being consulted on the redesign of the software — had approved it for only 70 per cent of the 323,700 vehicles.
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