Why thousands of cars may get recalled in the UK
What's the story
Almost a decade after the original Volkswagen 'dieselgate' scandal, the UK government is secretly investigating whether other carmakers also underreported emission levels of their vehicles.
The probe is based on suspicions that 47 different car models from 20 brands by 11 manufacturers could be more polluting than originally reported. This could lead to a recall of thousands of cars in the country.
The exact models being investigated have not been disclosed yet.
Legal action
Investigation triggered by legal complaint
The probe was launched after a legal complaint was filed last year by ClientEarth, an environmental law group.
They claimed widespread use of "defeat devices" like those used by Volkswagen in its diesel cars, which manipulated official tests and underreported toxic gas emissions.
The group called on ministers to find out how many cars could have these devices in Britain.
Emission scandal
Volkswagen's 'defeat devices' led to increased air pollution
The "defeat devices" installed by Volkswagen in its diesel models were designed to trick official tests into recording lower levels of toxic gases, than actually produced while driving normally.
This not only fooled drivers about their vehicles' environmental impact but also added significantly to air pollution.
The current investigation seeks to find if other car manufacturers have been doing the same, possibly expanding 'dieselgate' to a much wider scandal.