It was on Tuesday that the doubts vanished on the implication of Autoeuropa in the scandal that is shaking the German group Volkswagen. With the online tool with which clients check if your diesel car is on the hit list of vehicles, many drivers have found that neither the ‘made in Portugal’ delivered them from their blacklist.
The CEO of Volkswagen admitted that the group will have to postpone or cancel non-priority investments, which caused fear in Portuguese plant
The Sun confirmed this by placing the chassis numbers a minivan Volkswagen Sharan 2.0 TDI, 2012, and a 2.0 Scirocco 2010. We regret to inform you that the engine type EA 189 of your vehicle with chassis number (…) who submitted is affected by software that causes discrepancies in the amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx) during rehearsals in dynamometer “read-in auto-reply message.
At the global level, these vehicles VW are only made in Portugal, which opens up questions on the scale of the problem in Portugal. The plant assembled 626,000 cars between 2009 and 2014, the prime years of production vehicles with the controversial software. This total can be divided into four models:. Volkswagen Scirocco, VW Eos (discontinued this year), VW Sharan and Seat Alhambra
The last two, minibuses ‘twins’, represent most of the current production and diesel is king in these families of seven seats, most of them sold in Europe. Even the convertible Eos, and especially the sporty little Scirocco, have diesel versions with enough output in European markets.
In all, tens or hundreds of thousands of cars with software that distorts pollutant emissions can have left the Portuguese plant, which exports 99% of its production.
Risk in Investment
Autoeuropa factory confirmed last week have built cars with the software that distorts pollutant emissions in diesel, being however also surprised. António Chora, coordinator of the Commission of factory workers – which is still in Germany to attend meetings between employees and management – explained that the engines arrive in Palmela already completed, another European plant
Even in. Germany still seems to be no doubt, with a spokesman for the German group to meet on Thursday to SOL passed on the Portuguese plant, which would not be right to make statements today that can be changed later. “
The Portuguese unit has not released how many vehicles with fraudulent emissions produced nor revealed production numbers divided between cars, diesel or gasoline. However, the share of Autoeuropa this global scandal may be far greater than the total number of cars affected to circulate on Portuguese roads. – More than 117 000
The CEO of Volkswagen, Matthias Müller, admitted the week past the group will have to postpone or cancel non-priority investments, which caused fear in the Portuguese plant, as the Autoeuropa has an ongoing project to EUR 677 million to increase production capacity.
Contacted by SUN, António Chora believes that this review of investment will not affect national unity, once the expansion works are already underway. ” In addition, the factory workers have been reassured by management. There is some concern but we are calm. “
march in Plano
As had been set by Germany, the Volkswagen Group presented last Wednesday a plan to fix the problem in cars – initially 11 million worldwide, according to the company, but the CEO Matthias Müller has already said in an interview that may be less: 9.5 million
The first to be. called the workshop at no cost to the customer, will be the car with the engine 2.0 TDI, only a change in software. As for the 1.6 TDI, 3.6 million worldwide, require a more complex solution that is not only about the vehicle’s computer. Only in September will begin to be reviewed in the workshop, to repair a little more time consuming as well.
Customers refuse to go to the workshop
In the news They went out on the ‘positive’ effect of the software – which even allows the car uses less fuel and have more power to not always be to restrict emissions – many customers began to say who prefer the car as is. Car like so never failed and has plenty gene, I’m afraid it gets weaker, “he told the SUN own a Scirocco. Another driver fears that the Sharan will spend even more. “
In the US, more restrictive as pollutant emissions, many customers of Volkswagen and Audi say they will not respond to recall, for the your car do not miss the good benefits. And in some states are not obliged to do so at that Volkswagen may still have to pay, or offer something in return, to convince them to go to the workshop.
Palmela factory worth 15 million Tax
The weight of the Autoeuropa in the national economy is easy to translate into numbers. The Palmela plant employs more than 3,500 employees and has an impact of 1% of GDP. It is currently the third largest exporter in the country after Galp and TAP, although it is both a major importer, as many parts come from abroad.
The group also has relevance for tax purposes, being a of the largest taxpayers in the country. According to the company’s accounts that the Sun had access, Autoeuropa earned about 35 million euros last year, after having paid taxes of 15 million.
* with John Wood
emanuel.costa@sol.pt
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