Volkswagen car sales in the United Kingdom (UK) 2016-2019
Dieselgate
In 2015, Volkswagen was caught deliberately cheating in emissions tests, by fitting their diesel cars with software designed to lower emissions levels in testing conditions, in order to meet respective air quality standards. Although they were not the only car maker exposed for such practices, as the first name connected with the scandal, Volkswagen became synonymous with “Dieselgate”. As of April 5, 2019, the European Commission has come to the preliminary conclusion that German carmakers Volkswagen, BMW and the Daimler AG had breached EU antitrust rules by colluding to mitigate competition on emissions technology.
Volkswagen maintains UK market position
Despite Volkswagen’s struggles, the company was able to maintain its market postion in the UK and also topped a list of largest automotive companies by revenue in 2017.