JLR says it doesn't cheat on emissions as VW says 11 million cars hit by scandal
Jaguar Land Rover, which makes its diesel engines at the i54 site in Wolverhampton, has said it doesn't cheat on emissions tests as Germany's Volkswagen admitted that 11 million vehicles worldwide are fitted with software to falsify test results.
The German car-maker is facing deepening scrutiny after being forced to admit it cheated on the tests for nearly 500,000 vehicles.
But JLR has moved rapidly to distance itself from the scandal, saying it does not use the software and that all its cars fully comply with US and EU emissions regulations.
A JLR spokeswoman said: "Jaguar Land Rover does not use any emissions 'defeat' software.
"Our latest cars are the cleanest ever and customers who buy vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover can be confident that they will be fully compliant with all EU and US emissions regulations; that they will adopt the latest technology to control emissions and they will be helping improve air quality and meet CO2 and emission targets."
She added: "Jaguar Land Rover has heavily invested in new clean diesel technology across our entire vehicle range.
"This includes the development of the new Ingenium engine – built in-house at our new £500m Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton."
Meanwhile VW boss Martin Winterkorn, who will have to face the car company's board today, said he was "endlessly sorry" over the scandal which has prompted questions about his future.
Air quality campaigners have called for the Government to launch an inquiry into whether cars on Britain's roads also broke the rules, but the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) insisted that cars sold in the UK "must comply with strict European laws".
Meanwhile the German manufacturer car maker is now facing the prospect of criminal inquiries in the US, with state attorneys forming a group to investigate. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement: "No company should be allowed to evade our environmental laws or promise consumers a fake bill of goods."
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US said cars had been fitted with sophisticated software called a 'defeat device' to switch engines to a cleaner mode when they are undergoing official emissions testing.
Volkswagen now faces the cost of recalling millions of vehicles, as well as a fine of up to £11.6 billion in the US.
Authorities across the world have launched further probes and UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has written to the European Commission to call for an immediate investigation.
He wrote: "Like the UK, I am sure the commission is keen to reassure drivers and use this moment to demonstrate that the European engine testing regime is robust.
"I am writing to seek your assurances that the European Commission will investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action to avoid a reoccurrence."
Brussels-based campaign group Transport and Environment claimed the technology used in VW's cars was also used by other manufacturers, meaning millions of vehicles in the UK might have to be recalled.
But the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) insisted there was no evidence that manufacturers in the UK attempt to mislead emission testers.
In France there have been calls for a Europe-wide investigation into VW as well as French car-makers' practices. The European Commission has contacted VW and the US authorities over the findings.
Volkswagen said it was "working at full speed to clarify irregularities concerning a particular software used in diesel engines" and has found "discrepancies ... involving some 11 million vehicles worldwide".
It has set aside £4.7 billion from its profits to cover servicing "and other efforts to win back the trust of our customers.".
Speaking in a video message, Mr Winterkorn said that "swift and comprehensive clarification" was VW's priority.
He went on: "We owe this to our customers, our staff and the public. And to make it very clear: manipulation at VW must never happen again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, millions of people around the world trust our brands, our cars and our technologies. I am endlessly sorry that we betrayed this trust."
The US findings covered 482,000 cars built in the last seven years including the Audi A3, VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models. The VW group is among the world's biggest car makers, also owning SEAT, Skoda, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini.
Shares in Volkswagen, down 19% on Monday, fell by a further 18% yesterday, wiping nearly £22 billion of the value of the company's stock. Rivals such as Renault, BMW and Mercedes owner Daimler - none of which have been drawn into the scandal themselves - also saw shares fall.
