The diesel emissions scandal erupted worldwide on Sept. 22 when Volkswagen, the world’s top-selling automaker, admitted on using the same software called “defeat device” to manipulate emission tests in the United States on 11 million cars produced worldwide.
The scandal is unlikely to affect sales of diesel-fueled motor vehicles in the Philippines as emissions standards in Asian countries are much less stricter than those in the United States.
Last September 8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered Volkswagen to recall nearly half a million diesel-fed cars for intentionally programming software to switch engines to a cleaner mode during official emissions testing.
Volkswagen is now facing fines up to $18 billion apart from class-action lawsuits for marketing “clean diesel” cars as being environmentally friendly.
Volkswagen Philippines states that all of the vehicles it sells are Euro 4 compliant and that they are operating within the bounds of the law.
Euro 4 is the emissions standard that was phased out in Europe in 2009, which is now enforcing Euro 6, while the United States implements Tier 3, one of the most stringent emission standards in the world.
