Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche has been called into the German Transport Ministry to answer questions about just how many Mercedes vans and other cars need to be fixed via software updates to meet emissions rules.German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer talked to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche in Berlin on Monday to debate a current regulatory probe of software devices found by the KBA motor vehicle authority in some Mercedes cars during regular checks.
Daimler last week ordered the recall of Vito vans fitted with 1.6-liter engines because they were found to breach emissions regulations.
After the closed-door meeting in Berlin, Scheuer said he gave the Daimler chief until June 15 to come up with a solution to resolve the Vito emissions issue affecting at least 4,900 vans worldwide.
Daimler disagrees
The ministry had earlier said the Vitos had been equipped with a software device manipulating the emissions filtering system and leading to higher nitrogen oxide emissions when in real, on-road conditions.
Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper said regulators were probing as many as 40,000 Vito vans and 80,000 C-class models for possible illicit software that allowed the vehicles to emit excess pollution without easy detection.
Daimler had said it would appeal against KBA’s decision to classify the software as illegal and contest the authority’s findings in court, if necessary.
hg/tr (Reuters, dpa)
