BMW Expects Emission-Cutting Cost to Fall Within 2-Digit Million Euro Range

BMW Group estimates a software update to reduce harmful emissions, recently agreed by several German automakers, will cost the company a figure falling within the two-digit million euro range, the company's spokesperson told Sputnik on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The so-called diesel summit took place in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss pollution from diesel vehicles, two years after the industry was first hit by a scandal that exposed cheating to manipulate emissions tests. During the summit, German car manufactures agreed that over five million diesel vehicles would receive a software update to facilitate the reduction of emissions. The update will concern the European Union's Euro 5 emissions standard vehicles and some in the Euro 6 category.

"It is too early to say exactly what it will cost. We expect the final figure to be in the two digit million Euro range. The update only applies to Euro 5 cars. All BMW Group vehicles sold today are already Euro 6 standard and therefore no update is possible as these engines already achieve the best possible results," the spokesperson said.

According to BMW, Wednesday's meeting with German politicians was constructive.

"We are currently finalizing the operational aspects of the software update; it is too early to say when the upgrade will begin or how long it will take to upgrade the relevant BMW Group vehicles," the spokesperson said.

The company is also "playing a constructive part in all discussions at municipal, state and federal level to prevent a diesel bans from being introduced" and actively participating in discussion on alternative measures for air quality improvement.

According to the statement of the German Automotive Authority (VDA), the owners will not incur the cost of the update, and neither the engine performance nor fuel consumption will be affected.

In July, German court backed the proposal of the Environmental Action Germany group to bar older diesel vehicles from the center of Stuttgart. Munich is reportedly also considering a similar ban.