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South African regulator to probe VW emissions data

9th October 2015

By: Irma Venter

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) has announced that it will launch an investigation to determine whether emissions data on Volkswagen vehicles sold in South Africa has also been manipulated.

The NRCS will work with the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Transport “to determine whether South African vehicles are also affected”, says the regulator in a statement.

“The organisation will do a comparative study on vehicle models implicated, against vehicles that were approved in South Africa, to determine whether there was any manipulation of pollution data.

“This will be followed by sampling and testing of emissions requirements against the relevant South African standard, SANS 20083 (UNECE R83.04).

“If vehicles are found to be noncompliant, the NRCS will apply a sanctioning process, which will lead to the recall of the relevant vehicles for correction.”

Another potential impact could be on the carbon tax levied on new vehicles sold in South Africa, payable to the National Treasury. A higher tax is placed on vehicles producing more harmful emissions.

The NRCS confirms that all VW cars have completed the appropriate homologation processes to go on sale in South Africa.

The world’s number one vehicle maker (by sales) in September apologised for cheating on emissions tests in the US, admitting its error.

Some 11-million VW diesel cars built since 2008 are known to be affected by the scandal, reports BBC News.

These vehicles have devices which can detect when the engine is being tested, changing the car’s performance to improve results.

Volkswagen CE Martin Winterkorn has been forced out due to the scandal and replaced by Matthias Mueller, the former head of Porsche.

BBC News says 2009 to 2015 Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Audi A3 models and 2014 and 2015 Passat models, sold in the US, feature the devices that produce doctored results.

Some 500 000 vehicles in the US have been affected. However, there are just short of 11-million cars around the world that had the same equipment, with Volkswagen yet to say how many were sold elsewhere in the world.

A number of countries have already indicated that they will probe the relevant VW models sold in their markets to determine if they are also affected.

Italy will, for example, carry out spot checks on at least 1 000 diesel vehicles.

Volkswagen could potentially face a fine of $18-billion.

Volkswagen Group South Africa did not respond to requests for comment.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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