02 October 2015•Update: 03 October 2015
PARIS - ANKARA
French authorities have launched an inquiry into the world’s biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, over alleged 'aggravated fraud’ in connection with the use of pollution-cheating software.
The Paris prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation into Volkswagen's "production of a dangerous substance to human health" following the scandal into rigged car-emission tests.
The German automaker admitted on Sept. 22 that diesel vehicles produced by the German carmaker were equipped with a software device used to cheat tests.
Volkswagen announced that it would recall 11 million diesel cars worldwide and released Tuesday an action plan to address the scandal, promising that it will "correct the emissions characteristics of diesel vehicles" in which illegal software was installed.
The scandal forced the resignation of Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn on Sept. 23.
Volkswagen's French subsidiary said on Wednesday that it has sold nearly one million vehicles in France with software to deceive pollution controls.
Audrey Garousse of Volkswagen's French subsidiary told Anadolu Agency that the total number of sold vehicles is 948,064. The list of brands affected include: Audi (191,659 units); Skoda (65,229); SEAT (92,890); and 596,314 Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, she said
Switzerland bans Volkswagens in wake of scandal
Switzerland has banned new Volkswagen cars and newly imported vehicles from the German automaker, the Swiss Federal Roads Office announced on Friday.
New VW cars purchased may not be registered for driving, and used vehicles that have been imported will also not receive registration, the office said in a statement.
Cars from the German automaker already registered can be used on the country's highways, however.
Volkswagen on Sept. 22 admitted that its cars had been equipped with software that cheated emissions testing controls. The software set the emissions control device to function during the test, and then shut it off while the car was on the road.
According to Volkswagen's Swiss distributor AMAG, about 129,000 vehicles in Switzerland have the software.
