BERLIN (AP) — The latest developments on the Volkswagen emissions scandal. All times local.
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2:25 p.m.
Germany’s transport minister says that light commercial vehicles at Volkswagen appear to be affected by the scandal over software used to cheat U.S. emissions test.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accused VW a week ago of installing the so-called “defeat device” in 482,000 cars sold in the United States. VW later acknowledged that similar software exists in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The German government has said that those included cars in Europe but it’s not yet clear how many.
German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Friday: “According to our current information, light commercial vehicles as well as cars at Volkswagen are affected by the improper manipulation of diesel engine emissions.” He didn’t give details.
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2:00 p.m.
Daimler AG, the maker of Mercedes cars, is rejecting claims by a German environmental group that it appears to have been involved in manipulation of emissions data.
The Deutsche Umwelthilfe group said Friday that it had information that almost all German manufacturers of diesel cars — including Daimler — exceed emissions limits by such a level that it has to assume illegal devices to reduce nitrogen oxide readings are in play.
Daimler on Friday issued a statement strongly denying any manipulation. It said that so-called defeat devices have never been used by the company, and that goes for all diesel and gas engines. It said that it sticks to all laws and rules, and it isn’t aware of any measurements showing that its vehicles fail to keep to legal requirements.
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1:00 p.m.
Italy’s transport minister says spot-checks will be done on at least 1,000 diesel vehicles of all brands following the Volkswagen emissions-rigging scandal.
Graziano Delrio said on a late-night talk show that checks will be conducted at dealerships before sale. That will cost 8,000 euros per vehicle, meaning an overall tab of 8 million euros (nearly $9 million). Delrio, citing a “problem of health, trust,” said the truth must be established.
An Italian consumer group, Altroconsumo, said Friday a class action suit was planned and called on Volkswagen to either correct the software employed in the emissions-rigging or substitute the vehicle.
A Turin-based prosecutor specializing in health and pollution probes has ordered checks of Volkswagens, and eventually of other brands, in Italy to see if commercial fraud or environmental damage is involved.
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12:20 p.m.
Norwegian authorities have launched an investigation to find out whether the Volkswagen emissions-rigging scandal affects the Nordic country.
Norway’s economic crimes unit said Friday it will investigate whether “there has been a criminal offense in Norway and whether the fraud has any significance for the cars in question that have been imported to the country.”
The agency said it was working on the case jointly with the customs and transportation authorities.
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10:55 a.m.
Shares in German carmakers are leading a rebound in the country’s stock market.
The DAX index is up 2.6 percent in morning trading, helped by a 4 percent rise in shares in BMW AG. The company had seen a big drop the day before on a report that one of its models exceeded European emissions limits. The report did not allege any cheating by BMW.
Shares in Volkswagen, which plunged early in the week before stabilizing, were up 1.5 percent as its board meets to find a new CEO and discuss the scandal.
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