2.1 million Audi cars affected by Volkswagen diesel emission scandal

Audi has announced that 2.1 million of its cars worldwide were fitted with a device that allowed parent company Volkswagen to cheat U.S. emission tests.

Around 1.42 million Audi vehicles with so-called EU5 engines are affected in Western Europe, with 577,000 in Germany and around 13,000 in the United States, an Audi spokesperson told Reuters.

Affected model lines include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3, and Q5.

Volkswagen shares have fallen over 5% in late morning trade, continuing a downward trend.

The German-based company admitted last week that around 11 million of its diesel-powered cars are fitted with the so-called “defeat device”, prompting the resignation of chief executive Martin Winterkorn.

Meanwhile, European environmental organisation, Transport & Environment, said that it has found that some new car models – including those of Mercedes, Volkswagen and BMW – consume far more petrol than lab tests claim.

The organisation said that it has found no proof that the cars are equipped with “diesel devices”, but has called on EU governments to expand their probes into the VW scandal to cover petrol-powered cars as well.