Emission scandal: Volkswagen to pay over $18bn fines

…affected models not in Nigeria
GERMAN car manufacturer, Volkswagen, which has been under the storm lately for the using of a software that manipulated pollution emission test for some of its model is likely to pay around $18bn in fines as well as the recalling of 11million cars.
According to the American EPA, the pollution emission test conducted on Volkswagen vehicles have been manipulated over the years with software known as the defeat device. Investigations proofs that most four cylinder diesel cars that were manufactured by VW between 2009 and 2014 cheated during the pollution emission test. The auto maker was able to get away with manipulation of pollution emission test for about 6 years and recently began again with the newPassat.
Speculated reasons why Volkswagen is known to have cheated during population emission tests especially in the US market is the fact that low NOx emission vehicles in the US are reduced approximately an amount of $1500. This initiative was directed at increasing the number of environmental friendly purchased by people in the US thereby receiving a $1500 discount on the car price.
Another reason why VW is known to have played smart on the usage of the defeat device is because manufacturing of an environmental friendly vehicle happens to be very difficult without sacrificing fuel efficiency. VW’s aim was to be the automaker that manufactured vehicles were both environmental friendly and fuel efficient to boost its sales.
The total figure of vehicles involved in the emission scandal by VW stands at 11 million worldwide. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned last Wednesday and the company shares have also being affected with a drop in the last few days. The revelation by the US Environmental Protection Agency about VW diesel cars in America have sparked doubts of vehicles produced by the world’s biggest carmaker for other markets such as United Kingdom. There are current investigations going on in the UK and there is a high possibility of retesting vehicles as VW car owners call in lawyers.
Mr. Winterkorn’s resignation has been greeted by widespread condemnation among the users of Volkswagen products in Nigeria. Many of the supporters of Volkswagen products in Nigeria allege widespread irregularities and bias in the probe of Volkswagen by the American authorities. The general opinion of the aggrieved Nigerians is that the honest admission of guilt by Mr. Winterkorn notwithstanding, he has been a victim of an unfair witch hunt and lack of due process by the American investigators.
Although handlers of the brand in Nigeria, Stallion Group has kept mute over the crisis, investigation by National Daily shows that diesel engine in passengers cars are not quite popular in the country because of the huge cost of diesel fuel as against petrol.
A motorist who spoke with National Daily, Chidi Josiah said Nigerians are not used to diesel engine in cars. “Except for commercial vehicles and lorries, 98 per cent of cars plying our roads are petrol engines.”
He added that even if such cars were to be on our roads, Nigeria does not have such agencies or equipment to monitor their emission rates like in America or Europe, adding that Nigeria is a dumping ground for all manners of vehicles.
The company in the middle of the crisis, Volkswagen, has also confirmed that the models affected are in the United States and Europe, and is ready to recall them and also pay compensation.