Berlin to probe whether VW, others falsified emissions data in Germany

Berlin: The German government asked carmakers for information on Monday to ascertain whether they were involved in falfsifying car emissions data, as Volkswagen has admitted to doing in the United States. 

"We expect from manufacturers reliable information so that the Federal Motor Transport Authority or KBA can investigate whether similar manipulation has taken place in Germany or in Europe," a spokesman for the environment ministry, Andreas Kuebler, told a regular government news briefing.

A transport ministry spokesman said there was no indication so far that a similar scam had been carried out in Europe. 

Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel, declined to comment on the scandal, but said Merkel was following developments closely. 

The scandal, which came to light on Friday, could lead to financial fines of up to $18 billion for VW, as well as threatening the brand`s image in the United States and the rest of the world.

According to the US authorities, VW equipped 482,000 cars in the United States with a sophisticated software that turns off emissions controls when driving normally and turns them on only when the car is undergoing an emissions test. 

VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn issued an apology and said the group had ordered an external investigation into the matter.

The news sent VW shares into a tailspin on the Frankfurt stock exchange, where they were showing a loss of 21.8 percent at 127 euros at 1100 GMT.