Germany approves VW diesel fix for European cars

German authorities have approved the Volkswagen Group’s proposed fixes for around 8.5 million diesel engines in Europe that contain the infamous software designed to bypass emissions tests, Bloomberg reports. Repairs are set to start early next year.

The fixes are for VW’s 1.2 litre, 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre TDI engines; and Germany’s KBA motor transport authority approval applies across the European Union’s 28 national markets. As previously reported, there will be no compensation for European customers, only fixes.

“After the measures have been implemented, the vehicles will fulfill the duly applicable emissions standards, with the aim of achieving this without any impairment of engine output, fuel consumption or performance,” VW said in a statement.

The 1.2L and 2.0L engines will get a software upgrade that will take about 30 minutes of labour time. The 1.6L engine will need that plus the installation of a piece of mesh to regulate air flow. Less than an hour for the latter, VW says.

Affected vehicles will be called in by batches. The 2.0L kicks things off in Q1 2016 before the 1.2L fixes start at the end of Q2. The 1.6L will be recalled in the third quarter. VW says that it expects to start notifying customers in the next few weeks.

After US investigations uncovered the existence of the defeat device, an embarrassed VW admitted in September that it had installed software in about 11 million vehicles worldwide. The “cheat” software embedded in engines of VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat models lowered the level of nitrogen oxides emitted when it detects test conditions. The scandal claimed the job of strongman CEO Martin Winterkorn.

With the issue in Europe seemingly solved, it’s one region down for VW. But one gets the feeling that the rectification process won’t be so smooth in the US, where regulators first uncovered “Dieselgate”.

Separately, Volkswagen has admitted providing false data on CO2 emissions and fuel consumption that affects 430,000 vehicles in Europe. Regulators in the US have also targeted 85,000 VW, Audi and Porsche diesel models powered by 3.0 litre V6 TDI engines with defeat devices.

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