ZURICH, Switzerland, Sept. 26 (UPI) — Swiss authorities have banned the sales of Volkswagen diesel engine cars that may have been fitted with emission-testing cheating devices.
The move, seen as temporary, puts to a stop the sale of some 180,000 VW models not yet sold or registered in the country and comes after the company was accused of using software to doctor emissions testing results.
Thomas Rohrbach, spokesman for the Swiss federal office of roadways, said the ban was being implemented on VW vehicles with diesel engines in the “euro 5” emissions category. The ban does not apply to cars with “euro 6” engines, which are able to meet tougher emissions standards set by the European Union.
The move comes after the United States Environmental Protection Agency recalled 482,000 diesel-powered VWs that had apparent “defeat device” software to allow the vehicles to cheat emissions tests. The Department of Justice is investigating.
Since diesel cars are more popular in Europe, VW is receiving far more scrutiny there. Earlier this week, VW chief Martin Winterkorn resigned. Matthias Mueller, the former head of Porsche, has been named the VW chief executive.
“My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation,” Mueller said.
