Volkswagen 'concludes' CO2 emissions are not a problem
Internal checks reveal only minor deviations in a few models.
Volkswagen has "largely concluded" that its CO2 emissions problem is smaller than suspected. Based on an internal investigation, the automaker claims that there's no evidence that the fuel consumption numbers had been illegally changed. Their measurement checks reveal that there were only minor discrepancies in a few models that add up to 36,000 vehicles, as opposed to the 800,000 cars that were under initial suspicion. According to a statement "almost all of these model variants do correspond to the CO2 figures originally determined." The models that did reveal false CO2 figures were only off by a few grams and can be readjusted without a recall.
The German auto giant will have its conclusion verified by a "neutral technical service under the supervision of the appropriate authority" by the end of the month. If the numbers check out, the company could be in a lot less trouble than it first anticipated. It will still need to bounce back from the staggering recall (about 11 million vehicles) and loss of trust from its diesel emissions cheating scandal. But, the impact from the CO2 controversy, which could've cost the company $2.2 billion according to its own estimates, might turn out to be a minor scratch.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
