As Volkswagen continues to try and distance itself from #dieselgate, the German car maker has announced that by 2022 90% of its petrol vehicles will feature particulate filters.

THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP has announced it will begin introducing particulate filters on selected petrol models from next year (2017) and that by 2022 all new petrol models will feature a particulate filter.

“The Volkswagen Group is continuing to work assiduously on the environmental compatibility of conventional drive systems,” Volkswagen said in a statement that sounds a lot like, let’s not worry about the swift we pulled in California and more about we’re going to do… nudge, nudge.

“From 2017, all Group direct injection TSI and TFSI engines will be fitted step-by-step with petrol particulate filters. Emissions of fine soot particles will be reduced in this way by up to 90%.

By 2022, the number of Volkswagen Group vehicles being equipped with this technology annually could reach seven million. The process is starting in June 2017 with the 1.4-litre TSI engine in the new Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2.0 TFSI in the Audi A5. Implementation will then follow in further models and engine generations,” the statement continued.

Most of us are more familiar with particulate filters on diesel engines, which are designed to catch bits of soot in the exhaust system and keep them from ending up being blown out the tailpipe. The muck that’s caught is then burnt off at high temperature with just a small amount of residue left behind. And the Volkswagen Group claims that by fitting particulate filters to its petrol cars it will be able to eliminate around 90% of particulate emissions.

Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, Head of Group Research and Development at Volkswagen Group: “Following increases in efficiency and lower CO₂ output, we are now bringing about a sustained reduction in the emission levels of our modern petrol engines by fitting particulate filters as standard.”

Despite the outlay for complex exhaust gas treatment systems for new models, Volkswagen is determined to reduce its diesel vehicles’ pollutant emissions as well. Eichhorn: “In the future, all models will be equipped with the latest and most efficient SCR catalytic converter technology.”