Larger VW Diesels in Europe Have Cheater Emission Software Too

Volkswagen AG says the same software said to manipulate the emission readings of at least 10,000 of its 3.0-liter V-6 diesels in the U.S. also was installed in European versions of the engines.

The company has not indicated how many of the affected engines were sold in Europe. But analysts have estimated the population at roughly 200,000.

VW says the controls used in its 2014-2016 model V-6 diesels simply help the engine’s emission controls quickly achieve proper working temperature. The company insists the system does not alter emissions in a “forbidden way.”

But VW has suspended sales in the U.S. and Canada of Audi, Porsche and VW brand vehicles equipped with the larger diesels pending a ruling by environmental agencies in both countries.

The carmaker faces likely regulatory sanctions in the U.S. from the Environmental Protection Agency, which announced the discovery on Monday. EPA says nitrogen oxide emissions from the affected engines surges by as much as nine times one second after the NO₂ test ends.

The new crisis comes six weeks after VW acknowledged it equipped 11 million of its smaller 4-cylinder diesels, including 8.5 million in Europe and 482,000 in the U.S., to cheat emission tests. The company has budgeted €6.5 billion ($7.1 billion) for a lengthy recall beginning in January to modify or replace many of those control systems.

Earlier this week VW also reported it understated carbon dioxide emissions, and thereby inflating fuel economy ratings, in about 800,000 of its predominantly diesel-powered cars in Europe. The company estimates the error could expose it to €2 billion ($2.2 billion) in fines and compensation payments to customers related to the error.