German prosecutors have reportedly raided the headquarters of vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen, in Wolfsburg, Germany, as part of the on-going emissions scandal.
VW handed over a “comprehensive” range of documents and said that it supported the action, which also took place across a number of other locations.
The German car giant has admitted cheating emissions tests in the US, with the repercussions set to have a far reaching impact on the global car market.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), VW violated the Clean Air Act through the use of hi-tech devices fitted to some diesel engines that were sold into the US market. It is claimed that the software – unlawfully installed into diesel cars between 2009 and 2015 – could detect when the vehicles were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve emissions results.
Reports suggest around 1.2 million VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda vehicles are affected by the affair, which could lead to the recall of 11 million vehicles worldwide.
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