VW UK GRILLED IN WESTMINSTER: Volkswagen’s managing director for the United Kingdom – Paul Willis – got a grilling by Westminster Ministers.
He got accused of relying on confusing jargonistic expressions. He used some specialist words which were incomprehensible and gibberish.
Not a Defeat Device?
VW’s boss insisted that the technical software is fully compliant with European regulations. This was despite the fact that it cheated emissions tests in the United States.
He went on to inform the Commons’ Transport Select Committee that it should not be defined as a defeat device on our side of the Atlantic.
The German-based car manufacturing group admitted that 482,000 diesel vehicles got fitted with defeat device software in the US in September 2015. The aim of the emissions manipulation was to switch engines to a cleaner mode while they were being tested.
1.2 Million Vehicles Affected in UK
More than one million vehicles were affected in the UK. Despite announcing that close to 11 million vehicles were affected by the cheating worldwide, he was adamant that the software did not break European rules on car emissions testing.
The UK-wide affected automobiles include around 508,000 VW cars, 393,000 Audis, 132,000 Skoda, 80,000 VW commercial vehicles and 77,000 Seats.
He claimed that it was not a defeat device in Europe because it is not ‘part of the emission control system’.
He got asked if Volkswagen believed its vehicles were still compliant with European regulations. Mr. Willis replied by saying “That’s our position.”
This was despite them recognizing when they were being tested and explaining a previous apology for the scandal. He swerved the issue by admitting that he accepted the use of the software in Europe had been “inappropriate”.
VW Boss Using ‘Legal Jargon’
A Scottish Nationalist Party MP pressed him further on the issue, saying:
“You seemed to dance on the head of legal jargon. Was it a defeat device and does it or does it not break European laws.”
He also suggested that the VW Group have perverse environmental regulations. They treated European customers and the regulators with disdain. The Volkswagen representative replied in anger. He stated that he categorically refuted the accusations.
“Volkswagen is an upstanding company. It cares about its customers and it invests billions. It invests more money than any other car company in technology and it is important that we get to the bottom of this. I don’t agree with what you say that we treat people with disdain.”
The bickering and issues continue to break the headlines in the United Kingdom, and beyond. But, a programme has been instigated to carry out remedial work on the vehicles.
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