FRANKFURT — A scandal that has battered Volkswagen’s image in the United States spread to the automaker’s core market in Europe on Tuesday, when the company said that 11 million of its diesel cars were equipped with software that could be used to cheat on emissions tests. That was more than 20 times the number of cars previously disclosed.
The company also said it would set aside 6.5 billion euros, or about $7.3 billion — the equivalent of half a year’s profits — to cover the cost of making the cars comply with pollution standards.
In the United States, pressure was ramped up on Volkswagen, with attorneys general for New York and other states saying that they were forming a group to investigate the deceit, and Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, asking the Federal Trade Commission to begin an inquiry and look into remedies for owners.
The automaker’s 68-year-old chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, faced mounting pressure to take responsibility for the scandal and resign.