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UPDATE: BMW, VW Offices Searched in Emission Probes

BMW and Volkswagen facilities in Germany were raided today as part of separate emission violation probes.
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Prosecutors in Germany searched BMW AG facilities in Germany and Austria earlier today as part of an investigation into the possible use of illegal software to evade diesel emission laws.

Separate teams of investigators returned to Volkswagen AG’s headquarters in Wolfsburg to look for evidence that the company may have understated carbon dioxide emission statistics for hundreds of thousands of vehicles.

BMW says inspectors searched its offices for evidence of unauthorized software in about 11,400 of the company’s diesel-powered M550 and 7 Series large sedans. The raids were conducted at BMW’s Munich headquarters along with research facilities and engine plant in Austria.

The VW searches follow visits earlier this month to 13 VW offices. Those inspections were prompted by suspicions that in 2015 VW understated how many vehicles it found to have higher CO2 emission, and thus worse fuel economy, than originally reported.

VW initially estimated the error could have misstated the emissions and fuel economy ratings of 800,000 vehicles. But the company’s own investigation concluded only 36,000 vehicles were affected.

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