Volkswagen South African Unit says its Cars Comply with Green Laws

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s South African unit said on Monday all its vehicles in Africa’s most advanced economy are compliant with environmental laws, following the emissions testing scandal, which has rocked the global car industry.

The South African business said its vehicles comply with the published CO2 values and were technically safe and roadworthy.

“There is therefore no action required on either the part of the customer or our dealers,” the company said in a statement.

Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, faces the worst business crisis in its 78-year history after it admitted cheating diesel emissions tests for nitrogen oxides in the United States, with 11 million vehicles affected worldwide.

A South African regulator last week said they were investigating Volkswagen’s local cars to see if they also rigged carbon emissions data.

“All Volkswagen Group diesel vehicles of the type EA 189 retailed in South Africa, that is, Volkswagen passenger, Audi, Light and Medium Commercial Vehicles comply with this standard for nitrogen oxide emissions,” the company said.

Volkswagen was the second most popular car brand in South Africa after Toyota <7203.T> , selling 8,472 out of 51,055 vehicles in the market during August, data from the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa showed.

(Reporting by Zandi Shabalala; Editing by James Macharia and Keith Weir)