Volkswagen Nov sales in the US plunge by 25%

Following the dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen’s sales have plunged by almost 25% for the month of November, the Wall Street Journal reports. In September, the company stopped sales of its 2.0 litre diesel engines, followed by a halt in sales of its 3.0 litre diesel units in November – both of which contained the controversial “defeat devices.”

For the year 2015 to date, Volkswagen has managed to sell a total of 318,484 units in the US, compared to 332,912 last year over the same period. In November alone, Volkswagen sold only 23,882 vehicles, a total of 8,000 units less compared to November 2014.

Most affected models are namely the Golf, which is down by 64%. The Passat is down by 60%, and Jetta, down by 30%. This, despite the company’s offerings of cash cards worth over USD$1,000 and a three year roadside service to customers with 2.0 litre diesel engines.

Chief operation officer of Volkswagen America, Mark McNabb said, “Volkswagen is working tirelessly on an approved remedy for the affected TDI vehicles. During this time we would like to thank our dealers and customers for their continued patience and loyalty.”

Before the dieselgate scandal erupted, Volkswagen was already facing trouble with sales in the US. At its stem, the brand is now looking to narrow down its variants and trim options and reduce bonuses of executives, rather than cut jobs, to reduce costs. The move is expected to save the Group up to five billion euros (RM22.5 billion).

A total of 11 million vehicles worldwide are affected by the dieselgate scandal. Devices have been found in 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0 litre EA189 diesel four-pot engines. More recently, the 3.0 litre V6 TDI has also been flagged for emissions offences in the US. The brand recently said that it will be reducing production output to avoid oversupply in markets that have limited demand for Volkswagen vehicles.

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