As the Diesel Emits: Volkswagen CEO Says Nein To Compensation For Europe

Volkswagen is getting ready to start the $10 billion compensation program for owners of the 2.0L TDI engine in the U.S. But some folks want the German automaker to do something similar for TDI owners in Europe.

"Volkswagen should voluntarily pay European car owners compensation that is comparable with that which they will pay U.S. consumers," said EU Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska last week.

In a interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag over the weekend, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller said that isn't going to happen.

"But we have just a different situation," said Müller.

"In the U.S. the (emission) limits are stricter, which makes the fix more complicated. And taking part in the buyback is voluntary (for customers), which is not the case in Germany, for example."

The U.S.' regulations concerning emissions are some of strictest in the world, with automakers having to meet specific limits on how much pollutants come out of a tailpipe. This is why all diesel vehicles sold in the U.S. have some sort of after treatment system to help cut down on the amount of NOx emissions.

In Europe, the regulations are bit more lax. This is why Volkswagen was able to fix a number of vehicles by reprogramming the engine computer and swapping some parts. For the U.S., the fix would have be more extensive with a number of parts being replaced or added, which means added cost.

Source: Welt am Sonntag, Reuters