Volkswagen (VW) has announced what it calls an action plan to manage the global recall that it will issue for the 11 million vehicles that are fitted with the EA189 powertrain. According to a press release, the company first will contact customers with the affected vehicles to inform them that it will correct what it refers to as the "emissions characteristics" of the powertrain. The company has set up websites in all the countries with affected vehicle to keep customers informed of developments. VW will present the full technical solution and appropriate measures to the relevant authorities in October. Commenting last week on the company's action, the head of the VW passenger-car brand, Herbert Diess, said, "We are working at full speed on a technical solution that we will present to partners, to our customers, and to the public as swiftly as possible. Our aim is to inform our customers as quickly as possible, so that their vehicles comply fully with regulations. I assure you that Volkswagen will do everything humanly possible to win back the trust of our customers, the dealerships and the public."
Significance: Volkswagen has already announced that there are 11 million VW, Audi, Skoda, and Seat brand vehicles that are fitted with the EA189 powertrain that have what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has termed a "defeat device". It was the EPA's serving of a notice of violation letter on 18 September that announced that VW had installed software in the engine that allowed it to pass US nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions testing while running under a different configuration during normal driving conditions.
