Minister for Territories, Local Government and Major Projects, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, recently announced that the Government has sought urgent clarification from Volkswagen Australia and Audi Australia on whether emissions defeat devices were being used in vehicles in Australia.
Defeat devices provide a means for vehicles to perform better in emissions testing than they would in real-world operation, and are specifically prohibited in the Australian Design Rules mandated under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.
“If defeat devices have been used in Volkswagen or Audi vehicles in Australia, the Government will ensure that affected vehicles are no longer supplied to the Australian market and that a recall of any affected vehicles already in the Australian fleet will be implemented as soon as possible," Mr Fletcher said.
Emissions in this case relates to noxious emissions that can cause smog and adverse health impacts, but not to CO2 levels.
Read more in the Minister's media release.