VW recall to start in January
Volkswagen expects to start a recall of cars affected by the emissions scandal in January, according to newly appointed chief executive, Matthias Mueller.
All affected cars will be fixed by the end of 2016, he told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and added that only a few employees have been involved in the scandal.
Europe’s biggest carmaker has said emissions test-cheating software is present in 11 million diesel vehicles.
The firm said it would also look into its various brands and models, singling out Bugatti, its supercar marque.
Mr Mueller told employees at VW’s Wolfsburg plant in Germany that the firm is facing changes that ‘will not be painless.’
All investments that were not deemed absolutely necessary would be abandoned or delayed, technical solutions were ‘within view’ and the firm would do everything it could to keep jobs secure.
However, future investment in plant, technology and vehicles would be put ‘under scrutiny’.
‘We will do everything to ensure that Volkswagen will stand for good and secure jobs in the future.’
VW has set aside €6.5bn (£4.8bn) to cover the cost of the scandal, but analysts say the total cost could be much higher, with potential regulatory fines in the US, class action lawsuits and the cost of fixing all of the cars affected.
In the UK alone, it is thought 1.2 million vehicles could be affected.
