• A Volkswagen logo is seen on a freight car at the VW factory in Zwickau, Gemany, (AAP)
German automotive watchdog KBA ordered Volkswagen to recall 2.4 million vehicles in the country after Europe's biggest carmaker admitted to cheating on emissions tests for diesel vehicles.
By
Reuters

15 Oct 2015 - 8:07 PM  UPDATED 15 Oct 2015 - 8:49 PM

We are ordering the recall," a spokesman for the motor transport authority said, confirming a report by German daily Bild.

Volkswagen admitted last month it had installed software in diesel vehicles to deceive U.S. regulators about the true level of their toxic emissions.

It has said it aims to start a recall of affected cars in January and complete fixes by the end of next year, but Bild said the KBA had rejected the idea that owners could voluntarily bring in their vehicles.

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ACCC chairman Rod Sims says VW still needs to explain the consumer impact of the emissions system scandal.

Volkswagen said it had not received any orders from the KBA.

The carmaker is under pressure to identify those responsible for the wrongdoing and fix up to 11 million affected diesel vehicles worldwide. It has been criticised by politicians, investors and consumers for the time it is taking to produce answers.

Volkswagen to refit cars affected by emissions scandal
Volkswagen has said it will repair up to 11 million vehicles and overhaul its namesake brand following the scandal over its rigging of emissions tests.

The KBA and other European national authorities are due to provide an update to the European Commission in Brussels later on Thursday on investigations of the emissions scandal in their respective markets.

Also, Germany's transport ministry, which has in the past said about 2.8 million cars in Germany were affected, said Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt would make a statement on Volkswagen at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT).

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Volkswagen Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday, succumbing to pressure for change at the German carmaker, which is reeling from the admission that it deceived US regulators about how much its diesel cars pollute.