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Minister: 2.8 million German cars in VW fix

September 25, 2015

Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt says almost 3 million German cars are involved in VW's "dieselgate." Light commercial vehicles also seem to be affected, according to Dobrindt.

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Deutschland Volkswagen Dieselmotor
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Pleul

German carmaker Volkswagen also equipped 2.8 million cars in Germany with software designed to cheat on exhaust emissions tests, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Friday.

The minister added some of VW's light commercial trucks and vans were also fitted with so called "defeat devices."

"According to current information, in addition to cars, Volkswagen's light commercial vehicles are also affected by illegal manipulation of the emissions of diesel engines," the minister said in a statement.

Dobrindt's announcement came as VW's Supervisory Board met in Wolfsburg to debate the company's future and pick a new chief executive to follow Martin Winterkorn, who resigned earlier this week in the wake of revelations that some 11 million VW diesel cars globally had been fitted with so called defeat devices to thwart emissions tests.

Alexander Dobrindt Statement zu VW
Transport Minister Dobrindt is a member of Bavaria's CSUImage: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kumm

No light at the end of the tunnel

Dobrindt's statement on Friday exacerbated the deepest crisis in the German carmaker's corporate history.

It's already clear that VW's large-scale scam will cost the company dearly, with billions of dollars to be set aside for litigation and compensations costs in North America alone.

On Thursday, it had become clear that cars sold in Europe were also affected by the scandal.

VW shares experienced steep drops in the beginning of the week, with some of the losses paired later on. Overall, the VW stock has lost about a third of its pre-scandal value - and was already on a downward trajectory prior to the US allegations.

hg/msh (Reuters, AFP, dpa)