The German automaker manipulated the carbon dioxide emission levels of more petrol-powered vehicles than previously disclosed, Reuters reported, citing sources.
The embattled automaker looks to minimize the long-term effects of its carbon-emissions scandal.
The scandal-plagued German automaker plans to offer impunity as an incentive to encourage employees to come forward with potentially incriminating information.
In the wake of Volkswagen's emissions scandal, Germany's car regulator tested 23 local and foreign brands on suspicion of manipulation of nitrogen oxide emissions.
Volkswagen aimed to increase the pressure on employees who had knowledge of the scandal but fear they could lose their jobs if the information comes to light.
On Monday, the European Union asked Volkswagen to give within 10 days details on the recently revealed “irregularities” linked to the cheating software.
The news of the plan came the same day that the automaker’s engineers admitted to helping fabricate carbon dioxide emissions data.
"Employees have indicated in an internal investigation that there were irregularities in ascertaining fuel-consumption data," a Volkswagen representative says.
U.S. authorities reportedly seized a Volkswagen employee's passport during a recent trip, stoking fears about criminal prosecution.
German regulators stepped up their scrutiny after Volkswagen admitted to false carbon-dioxide emission data concerning about 800,000 cars sold in Europe.
The carmaker says 800,000 cars could be affected in the latest issue involving "irregularities" in carbon dioxide emissions data, and cost the company $2.2 billion.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday that certain Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen models with 3.0 liter engines were also rigged to pass pollution tests.
The scandal's fallout continues: Affected models include the 2014 VW Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5.
Researchers cautioned driverless cars still have a long way to go before full safety ramifications are understood.
Nearly 700,000 cars in Spain have been affected by the Volkswagen group's trickery.
CEO Matthias Mueller will look to quell investor fears after the scandal-hit automaker announced a $3.85 billion loss in the third quarter.
The auto industry has said, in effect, that drivers own the steel in their cars, but not the software. But the U.S. government has ruled differently.
The Violation Tracker database, compiled by think tank Good Jobs First, tracks companies that have violated U.S. environmental, health and safety laws.
“VW may be facing sales difficulties due to the [diesel emissions] scandal toward next year in Europe and the U.S.," one analyst said.
A letter noted the “significant discrepancy between the certified emissions and those actually observed on the road.”
A Volkswagen representative confirmed CEO Matthias Mueller would accompany German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her trip to China.
The automaker anticipates the costs of the scandal might exceed 30 billion euros ($33 billion), according to a German monthly magazine.