VW Diesel Scandal Returns To Life With New Audi Discovery

Volkswagen is in the process of healing after enduring backlash for cheating the emissions tests on its diesel engines for the better part of 2015. Now, new evidence has come to light that Audi was also employing defeat devices in order to cheat emissions tests, which it didn’t report. Since Audi is part of the VW Group, this has roped the conglomerate into a scandal that was thought dead.

The news was first broken by the German publication Bild am Sonntag. It also found certain documents pertaining to VW Group head Axel Eiser as well as several executives in the group. With the automaker so close to making a deal with regulators pertaining to the diesel scandal, this development is expected to shake things up quite a bit.

The California Air Resources Board made the discovery four months back, Forbes reports, in a popular automatic Audi sedan. It pertains to a software that is meant to ensure that the vehicle meets carbon emission standards during the test. It’s very similar to the same defeat device that was used on VW diesel vehicles.

It was also reported that the device affects hundreds of thousands of Audi vehicles all over the world, which could mean another major recall for the international conglomerate. This could prove disastrous as VW is already looking at several billion in losses.

For Audi’s part, the car maker has already stopped using the device months ago before it was discovered by CARB, Fortune reports. The device was also found in earlier models of the brand and no word has been released about its presence in 2016 models.

When Audi was approached for a comment on the development, the company declined to say anything. Instead, a spokesperson cited ongoing talks between the VW Group and regulators with regards to the previous diesel scandal.