Agencies
Sydney
The number of vehicles sold in Australia fitted with devices designed to mask the level of emissions has risen to more than 90,000 from 77,000, to include the Audi brand, widening a global scandal that engulfed German automaker Volkswagen.
The Australian unit of Volkswagen said it had set up a website for customers to see if their vehicles, including almost 55,000 Volkswagen branded passenger cars, 5,000 Skodas and more than 17,000 Volkswagen commercial vehicles, had the affected EA 189 diesel engines.
A spokeswoman for Audi Australia confirmed a further 14,000 Audis had also been fitted with the device.
The biggest business crisis in Volkswagen's 78-year history has wiped more than a third off its share price, forced out its longtime chief executive and sent shockwaves through both the global car industry and the German establishment.
Australian regulators have launched an enquiry to determine whether consumers have been misled. They say Volkswagen faces legal action and millions of dollars in fines if found to have breached consumer laws.
"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is currently investigating whether Volkswagen and Audi exposed consumers to false, misleading or deceptive representations," said the Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, Paul Fletcher.
While it admitted on Sept. 22 that 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide were fitted with illegal software, Volkswagen only began providing information to customers on Friday about whether their cars and vans were affected.
