Environmental regulators in California on Wednesday set a 45-day time limit for Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche to provide a recall plan for vehicles powered by 3-litre diesel engines fitted with suspect emissions software, according to dpa. The action comes after Monday's admission by Audi, a VW subsidiary, and "manufacturer of all the engines involved, that the vehicles contain three undisclosed auxiliary emissions control devices," according to a statement by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). One of the previously undisclosed pieces of software could be considered under US law to be a "defeat device" to undermine emissions tests. The model years affected range from 2009-2015, amounting to 15,000 vehicles in California and 85,000 in the entire US. They include the Volkswagen Touareg, the Porsche Cayenne and a variety of Audi luxury models. Before Audi's admission on Monday, the emissions scandal had been confined to 480,000 VW and Audi models in the US equipped with 2-litre diesel engines. Wednesday's CARB order formally applies only to California. In response to inquiries, though, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said it works closely with CARB and that for all practical purposes the same 3-litre engine recall plan deadline applies nationally as well.
