Volkswagen Busted For Cheating On Diesel Models -- And Owners Won't Like The Probable 'Fix'

[madmusti]

This is what makes Volkswagen different from Toyota&Co.

So i wouldn´t believe that they would such a huge mistake, there was no reason for it.

Even now GMC or Toyota is no match against Volkswagen so please don´t talk Trash Guys.

 

[ArdaTuran]

This made me LOL

Korean man destroys 170k € german luxury vehicle with golf bat, because it did nearly kill him and his Family (pregnant wife) when it shut off its engine automatically in the middle of the Highway several times!

170k €, german crap...ROFL

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Volkswagen warned about emission-cheating software eight years ago, leaked documents show

 

[Sulman Badshah]

This one is more environmental friendly than VW

 

[flamer84]

This is just the US reminding Gerrmany of who's in charge of European affairs.

The "Aryan polluter" will bleed the German economy from now on, and, with it, fuhrer Merkel's commie ambitions.Nicely played by the Yanks.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This is just the US reminding Gerrmany of who's in charge of European affairs.

The "Aryan polluter" will bleed the German economy from now on, and, with it, fuhrer Merkel's commie ambitions.Nicely played by the Yanks.

If you were following the story you would have seen it was a a German who started all this.
Peter Mock | International Council on Clean Transportation

He worked for some international clean energy group (International Council on Clean Transportation) in Europe.
He was trying to prove Volkswagen's European diesels were BETTER than regular gasoline engines. Unfortunately his test data showed the opposite. He then contacted people in the US to run tests on imported diesel cars which should have even more stringent emissions than Europe. He could make his case for promoting diesels by using the stricter US version of diesels. Unfortunately the US version ALSO failed,

11+ Million cars affected...only 500K in the US. The US isn't a big diesel market. If anything he was trying to promote the more worldwide use of European diesels.

This wasn't a US Government thing at all.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Four more carmakers join diesel emissions row | Environment | The Guardian

Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi’s cars are shown to emit significantly more NOx pollution on the road than in regulatory tests

Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi have joined the growing list of manufacturers whose diesel cars are known to emit significantly more pollution on the road than in regulatory tests, according to data obtained by the Guardian.

In more realistic on-road tests, some Honda models emitted six times the regulatory limit of NOx pollution while some unnamed 4x4 models had 20 times the NOx limit coming out of their exhaust pipes.

“The issue is a systemic one” across the industry, said Nick Molden, whose company Emissions Analytics tested the cars. The Guardian revealed last week that diesel cars from Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroen, Fiat, Volvo and Jeep all pumped out significantly more NOx in more realistic driving conditions. NOx pollution is at illegal levels in many parts of the UK and is believed to have caused many thousands of premature deaths and billions of pounds in health costs.

All the diesel cars passed the EU’s official lab-based regulatory test (called NEDC), but the test has failed to cut air pollution as governments intended because carmakers designed vehicles that perform better in the lab than on the road. There is no evidence of illegal activity, such as the “defeat devices” used by Volkswagen.

The new data is from Emissions Analytics’ on-the-road testing programme, which is carefully controlled and closely matches the real-world test the European commission wants to introduce. The company tested both Euro 6 models, the newest and strictest standard, and earlier Euro 5 models. Data showed that:

• Mercedes-Benz’s diesel cars produced an average of 0.406g/km of NOx on the road, at least 2.2 times more than the official Euro 5 level and five times higher than the Euro 6 level. A spokesman for Mercedes-Benz said: “Since real-world driving conditions do not generally reflect those in the laboratory, the consumption figures may differ from the standardised figures.”
• Honda’s diesel cars emitted 0.484g/km of NOx on average, between 2.6 and six times the official levels. A spokesman for Honda said: “Honda tests vehicles in accordance with European legislation.”
• Mazda’s diesel cars had average NOx emissions of 0.293g/km in the real world, between 1.6 and 3.6 times the NEDC test levels. One Euro 6 model, the Mazda 6 2.2L 5DR, produced three times the official NOx emissions. A spokesman for Mazda said: “In compliance with the law, Mazda works hard to ensure that every petrol and diesel engine it makes fully complies with the regulations.”
• Mitsubishi diesel cars produced an average of 0.274g/km of NOx, between 1.5 and 3.4 higher than in the lab. “The NEDC was never intended to represent real-world driving,” said a spokesman for Mitsubishi.
• The Emissions Analytics data seen by the Guardian also found Citroen, VW and Audi NOx emissions to be higher on the road than in the EU lab test.

This is a massive public health disgrace. The failure to prevent vehicles breaking pollution rules will have cost lives

Friends of the Earth
Molden said Emissions Analytics had analysed about 50 Euro 6 diesels and 150 Euro 5 diesels, with only five having real-world NOx levels that matched the regulatory test. The failure of the EU’s NOx test to limit real-world emissions, and tackle air pollution, has been known for some years, but specific manufacturers have not been named.

“The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions,” Molden said. “For NOx, [diesel] cars are on average four times over the legal limit, because of the lenient nature of the test cycle in the EU.” The Emissions Analytics tests showed 4x4s to have the highest NOx emissions, with several unnamed models emitting 15 times official levels and one more than 20 times.

“MEPs have been fighting for years to reform EU rules on diesel emissions-testing so they reflect real-world emissions. Yet the powerful car lobby and national governments have fiercely resisted these lifesaving changes,” said Catherine Bearder, a Lib Dem MEP and a lead negotiator in the European parliament on the EU’s new air quality law. “The people of Europe have waited long enough for cleaner air, they must not be made to wait any longer.”

Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner Jenny Bates said: “With further manufacturers implicated, this is yet more evidence that this scandal goes way beyond VW, and should cause decision-makers to question the very future of diesel vehicles on our roads. This is a massive public health disgrace and the failure to prevent vehicles breaking pollution rules will have cost lives.”

Two car companies, Mercedes and Honda, said that they supported a tightening of the regulations. “Mercedes-Benz emphatically supports the introduction of the WLTP test [which] is designed to supersede the NEDC, with the goal of bringing standardised and real-world consumption closer together,” said the spokesman. “To this end, we actively support the dialogue between industry (through trade group ACEA [European Automobile Manufacturers Association]) and the authorities.” Honda said it supported “additional testing in order to help strengthen regulatory and consumer confidence”.

However, in a letter seen by Reuters to EU officials, the ACEA chairman and Renault chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, said that no significant progress on NOx was possible before 2019. Reuters said that ACEA, which lobbies for Europe’s carmakers in Brussels, told the officials on 1 October that the NOx limit for a new, more realistic test should be 70% higher than today’s limit. An ACEA spokeswoman said it was “too early in the process to confirm or comment on hypothetical figures.”

“These new test results [from Emissions Analytics] prove that the Volkswagen scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. What we are seeing here is a dieselgate that covers many brands and many different car models,” said Greg Archer, an emissions expert at Transport & Environment. “The only solution is a strict new test that takes place on the road and verified by an authority not paid by the car industry.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


EPA: More VW diesels have "defeat device" software

Violations found in VW, Audi and Porsche models with 3.0-liter engines

It's not just the 2.0-liter Volkswagen TDI diesel engines that use illegal software to fool emission checks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today.
The EPA says several VW, Porsche, and Audi models with 3.0-liter diesels have been found with "defeat device" software similar to that used on nearly half a million of the smaller TDI engines.

The agency today issued a new Notice of Violation to Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche saying that it found several models with the illegal defeat devices.

The models are:

• 2014 VW Touareg;
• 2015 Porsche Cayenne; and
• 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5 crossover.

The notice includes only models with the 3.0-liter diesel engine.

"Once again failed"
"The EPA's investigation into this matter is continuing," the notice said. "The EPA may find additional violations as the investigation continues."

EPA said the software on the 3.0-liter engines increases emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) up to nine times the legal standard when the car is not hooked up to emissions-measuring equipment.

“VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the Office for EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “All companies should be playing by the same rules. EPA, with our state, and federal partners, will continue to investigate these serious matters, to secure the benefits of the Clean Air Act, ensure a level playing field for responsible businesses, and to ensure consumers get the environmental performance they expect.”

Both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are investigating the latest alleged violations. The new notice covers approximately 10,000 diesel passenger cars already sold in the United States since model year 2014. In addition, it includes an unknown volume of 2016 vehicles.

"On September 25, the California Air Resources Board sent letters to all manufacturers letting them know we would be screening vehicles for potential defeat devices,” said Richard Corey, Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board. “Since then ARB, EPA and Environment Canada have continued test programs on additional diesel-powered passenger cars and SUVs.

"Serious concerns"
"These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues. This is a very serious public health matter. ARB and EPA will continue to conduct a rigorous investigation that includes testing more vehicles until all of the facts are out in the open," Corey said.

As in the 2.0-liter engines, EPA said VW "manufactured and installed software in the electronic control module of these vehicles that senses when the vehicle is being tested for compliance with EPA emissions standards."

"When the vehicle senses that it is undergoing a federal emissions test procedure, it operates in a low NOx 'temperature conditioning' mode, EPA said. "Under that mode, the vehicle meets emission standards. At exactly one second after the completion of the initial phases of the standard test procedure, the vehicle immediately changes a number of operating parameters that increase NOx emissions and indicates in the software that it is transitioning to 'normal mode,' where emissions of NOx increase up to nine times the EPA standard, depending on the vehicle and type of driving conditions."

 

[Azadkashmir]

This is just the US reminding Gerrmany of who's in charge of European affairs.

The "Aryan polluter" will bleed the German economy from now on, and, with it, fuhrer Merkel's commie ambitions.Nicely played by the Yanks.

you right this is political blackmail and sabotage just like few years back with Honda or Toyota recalls.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

you right this is political blackmail and sabotage just like few years back with Honda or Toyota recalls.

The European emissions people are the ones making the noise.

 

[CekilinBenDoktorum]

let us be honest. Volkswagen makes chity cars. they never can achieve Mercedes or BMW Quality.

Volkswagen creates cheating Software and Manipulation devices en masse. Because they lack Prestige.

 

[CDown]

Alot of issues for VW

 

[Solomon2]

Berlin Accomplices: The German Government's Role in the VW Scandal
By Hubert Gude, Dietmar Hawranek, Gerald Traufetter and Christian Wüst

November 06, 2015 – 06:40 PM

​

DPA
As the Volkswagen scandal widens, German government complicity has become impossible to ignore.

Volkswagen's deceit goes well beyond diesel emissions. The company's fuel efficiency claims have also been revealed as fraudulent. But some of the guilt lies with a German government that did all it could to make life easy on automakers.

This week wasn't just a bad one for the Volkswagen concern. The German government is also happy that it's over. Berlin had painstakingly developed a damage control strategy in an effort to prevent the VW scandal from damaging the reputation of German industry as a whole. Top advisors to Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had even written a confidential letter to German diplomats around the world, providing guidelines for how they should go about defending "the Germany brand." "The emissions scandal should be presented as a singular occurrence," they wrote. "External communication" should focus "to the extent possible on preventing VW and the 'Made in Germany' brand from being connected."

But then Monday arrived and the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States that "VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans." In addition to the 11 million diesel vehicles whose emissions values were manipulated, additional models are also thought to have been outfitted with illegal software to cheat on emissions compliance tests, including the popular SUV Cayenne. That vehicle is manufactured by Porsche, the company that VW's new CEO, Matthias Müller, used to lead before being hired to replace Martin Winterkorn, who was ousted when the VW scandal first broke.

Then Tuesday arrived, and along with it the admission from Müller that VW had deceived even more of its customers. The fuel consumption claims for more than 800,000 vehicles were manipulated, with the specified average mileage not even achievable in testing, much less in real-world conditions. The new scandal affects models carrying the company's own environmental seal-of-excellence known as BlueMotion, a label reserved for "the most fuel efficient cars of their class," as the company itself claims.

It has now become clear that such claims are a fraudulent lie. And it shows that this scandal may continue to broaden before VW manages to get it under control.

Astonishment and Horror

Thus far, the "Made in Germany" brand has not been noticeably damaged; German exports are at a record high. But concern is growing at competitors like Mercedes-Benz and BMW that they too may ultimately be affected by the scandal. They believe there is a danger that diesel engines as a whole could fall into disrepute. And without diesel motors, which are relatively efficient, European CO2 emissions reduction targets will not be met.

A combination of astonishment and horror has gripped Volkswagen headquarters, one manager relates. And new legal investigations could be on the horizon. Braunschweig public prosecutor Klaus Ziehe, who has jurisdiction over Volkswagen, says: "Following the new accusations, we are looking at the possibility of opening an additional investigation." The new situation, he says, is not covered by the investigation that was launched in October because of the "obviously new circumstances with the possible involvement of other actors."

Legal experts say that the owners of the 800,000 vehicles with manipulated fuel efficiency values could now demand a conversion. In other words, they would be within their rights to return their vehicles and demand the reimbursement of the purchase price, minus a use fee for the period of ownership.

VW has calculated its possible risk exposure at €2 billion ($2.15 billion), but that may not be enough. Were owners to return even half of the cars affected, the company would likely face costs of between €4 billion and €8 billion -- in addition to the €6.5 billion that has been set aside for the rectification of the problems with the diesel engines.

In the beginning, the company insisted that the emissions problems were caused by "a small group," but it has since become clear that several factions within the concern were engaged in defrauding customers, dealerships and government officials in many countries for years at a time. Those responsible can be found in VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, but they had plenty of help from German government officials in Berlin and EU officials in Brussels.

​

DER SPIEGEL
Room for Deceit

Politicians, to be sure, tightened CO2 emissions requirements so as to distinguish themselves as climate protectors. But they didn't do anything to ensure that emissions could be efficiently monitored. On the contrary, they tolerate a vast gray area that provides automakers with plenty of room for deceit.

One possibility open to car companies involves the approval of new models. Such approval can take place in any country in the EU, but is then valid across the entire 28-country bloc. That has created competition for business among certification agencies in the EU, a situation which creates a disincentive for agencies to be particularly critical. Next time, after all, a car manufacturer may just take its business elsewhere.

The deception begins with so-called "coast down tests," which involve accelerating a vehicle to a specific speed and then allowing it to roll until it comes to a full stop. The greater the distance, the lower the car's drag coefficient. And when it comes time for emissions testing, a lower drag coefficient results in improved results. Which is why carmakers use all legal means at their disposal to improve their coast down results: They use test roads that are slightly sloped or that have particularly friction-resistant asphalt; they cover the car's front grill to reduce wind resistance; or they greatly increase air pressure in the vehicle's tires.

But for those who consistently seek advantage using legal measures, the step across the line is apparently a short one. It is particularly effective, for example, to mount extra-heavy wheels on the test vehicle, because heavier cars roll further. Doing so is not allowed, but discovering it would involve removing wheels and weighing them, a procedure that is not part of a standard test. The Netherlands testing agency TNO has long promoted the introduction of a requirement to weigh the wheels of test vehicles, but has never made much progress against the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

In the US, the system for vehicle approval is structured differently and is apparently more efficient. There, carmakers initially only have to confirm that they conform to legal limits. Later, government agencies perform tests in independent laboratories. And if fraudulent results are found, punishments are harsh.

Capitulating to Automakers

In Germany, by contrast, a stamp of approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority for a new model is the end of the story. Carmakers don't have to worry about additional tests, not even should suspicions arise. Germany's Transportation Ministry recently responded to a query from the Green Party by saying that it was aware of a study showing increased nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles, but it saw "no cause" for additional testing.

"By capitulating to the interests of automakers, the German government is damaging the country's good reputation as a place to do business," says Jürgen Resch, head of the environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe.

"The complicity between the German government and the automobile industry is a voluntary failure of the state and ultimately the cause of the VW scandal," adds Oliver Krischer, transportation expert with the Green Party.

The fact that VW has now admitted to having manipulated the model approval tests of vehicles in its BlueMotion series makes clear the political failure. Which helps explain the alarmed reaction of Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, though his demands have thus far not gone beyond the self-evident. Should VW car owners be forced to make vehicle tax back-payments because their cars emit more CO2 than indicated, Dobrindt said, then VW should be liable for those costs.

Away from the cameras, though, the transport minister has been more protective of VW, particularly when it comes to the question as to whether the 200,000 vehicles with falsified emissions values should be taken off the roads. Dobrindt is in favor of simply allowing VW to apply for a new model allowance. Once it is issued, it would simply replace the old one.

New VW CEO Matthias Müller is grateful for any support he can get these days. After just six weeks at the top of Volkswagen, there are some already asking if he is fit for the job, questions that he has no patience for. The Porsche Cayenne's engine, currently suspected of having been manipulated, was developed and produced by Audi and approved in the US; during his term as head of Porsche, Müller had nothing to do with it. The concern's supervisory boards have assured that there is no cause for speculation regarding the role played by Müller. On the contrary, they are quite satisfied with the way he has gone about investigating the emissions scandal. He has been open and transparent, they say, even when doing so has been uncomfortable. "Müller stands for a new beginning," says one supervisory board member.

A Phone Call from the Chancellor

But it is questionable whether the Volkswagen scandal will cause the German government to rethink its cozy relationship with the automobile industry. Just two weeks ago, in fact, Berlin aggressively defended VW's interests in Brussels, as though the emissions sham never happened. At issue was a new testing method whereby vehicle emissions would be tested under real-life conditions on the road rather than just in the laboratory. The automobile industry had long resisted the new method, but as it became apparent that its introduction could no longer be stopped, Berlin turned to a trick: new vehicles will not have to immediately conform to regulatory limits. They will be allowed to exceed the limit by a so-called "discrepancy to conformity" factor.

The government in Berlin had agreed on a factor of 1.4, but on the day before the decisive meeting of the European Commission in Brussels, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) protested. The association insisted that the factor should be initially set at between 2.5 and 3, which would have allowed vehicles to emit two to three times the legal emissions limit.
In the end, VDA President Matthias Wissmann was able to win over the chancellor. On the morning of the Commission meeting, several of those involved say, Merkel called Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. At the end of the conversation, the discrepancy to conformity factor had been decided upon: 2.1.

Perhaps, though, that should be seen as progress. The automobile industry, after all, wasn't able to get everything it asked for.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Berlin Accomplices: The German Government's Role in the VW Scandal
By Hubert Gude, Dietmar Hawranek, Gerald Traufetter and Christian Wüst

November 06, 2015 – 06:40 PM

​

DPA
As the Volkswagen scandal widens, German government complicity has become impossible to ignore.

Volkswagen's deceit goes well beyond diesel emissions. The company's fuel efficiency claims have also been revealed as fraudulent. But some of the guilt lies with a German government that did all it could to make life easy on automakers.

This week wasn't just a bad one for the Volkswagen concern. The German government is also happy that it's over. Berlin had painstakingly developed a damage control strategy in an effort to prevent the VW scandal from damaging the reputation of German industry as a whole. Top advisors to Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had even written a confidential letter to German diplomats around the world, providing guidelines for how they should go about defending "the Germany brand." "The emissions scandal should be presented as a singular occurrence," they wrote. "External communication" should focus "to the extent possible on preventing VW and the 'Made in Germany' brand from being connected."

But then Monday arrived and the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States that "VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans." In addition to the 11 million diesel vehicles whose emissions values were manipulated, additional models are also thought to have been outfitted with illegal software to cheat on emissions compliance tests, including the popular SUV Cayenne. That vehicle is manufactured by Porsche, the company that VW's new CEO, Matthias Müller, used to lead before being hired to replace Martin Winterkorn, who was ousted when the VW scandal first broke.

Then Tuesday arrived, and along with it the admission from Müller that VW had deceived even more of its customers. The fuel consumption claims for more than 800,000 vehicles were manipulated, with the specified average mileage not even achievable in testing, much less in real-world conditions. The new scandal affects models carrying the company's own environmental seal-of-excellence known as BlueMotion, a label reserved for "the most fuel efficient cars of their class," as the company itself claims.

It has now become clear that such claims are a fraudulent lie. And it shows that this scandal may continue to broaden before VW manages to get it under control.

Astonishment and Horror

Thus far, the "Made in Germany" brand has not been noticeably damaged; German exports are at a record high. But concern is growing at competitors like Mercedes-Benz and BMW that they too may ultimately be affected by the scandal. They believe there is a danger that diesel engines as a whole could fall into disrepute. And without diesel motors, which are relatively efficient, European CO2 emissions reduction targets will not be met.

A combination of astonishment and horror has gripped Volkswagen headquarters, one manager relates. And new legal investigations could be on the horizon. Braunschweig public prosecutor Klaus Ziehe, who has jurisdiction over Volkswagen, says: "Following the new accusations, we are looking at the possibility of opening an additional investigation." The new situation, he says, is not covered by the investigation that was launched in October because of the "obviously new circumstances with the possible involvement of other actors."

Legal experts say that the owners of the 800,000 vehicles with manipulated fuel efficiency values could now demand a conversion. In other words, they would be within their rights to return their vehicles and demand the reimbursement of the purchase price, minus a use fee for the period of ownership.

VW has calculated its possible risk exposure at €2 billion ($2.15 billion), but that may not be enough. Were owners to return even half of the cars affected, the company would likely face costs of between €4 billion and €8 billion -- in addition to the €6.5 billion that has been set aside for the rectification of the problems with the diesel engines.

In the beginning, the company insisted that the emissions problems were caused by "a small group," but it has since become clear that several factions within the concern were engaged in defrauding customers, dealerships and government officials in many countries for years at a time. Those responsible can be found in VW headquarters in Wolfsburg, but they had plenty of help from German government officials in Berlin and EU officials in Brussels.

​

DER SPIEGEL
Room for Deceit

Politicians, to be sure, tightened CO2 emissions requirements so as to distinguish themselves as climate protectors. But they didn't do anything to ensure that emissions could be efficiently monitored. On the contrary, they tolerate a vast gray area that provides automakers with plenty of room for deceit.

One possibility open to car companies involves the approval of new models. Such approval can take place in any country in the EU, but is then valid across the entire 28-country bloc. That has created competition for business among certification agencies in the EU, a situation which creates a disincentive for agencies to be particularly critical. Next time, after all, a car manufacturer may just take its business elsewhere.

The deception begins with so-called "coast down tests," which involve accelerating a vehicle to a specific speed and then allowing it to roll until it comes to a full stop. The greater the distance, the lower the car's drag coefficient. And when it comes time for emissions testing, a lower drag coefficient results in improved results. Which is why carmakers use all legal means at their disposal to improve their coast down results: They use test roads that are slightly sloped or that have particularly friction-resistant asphalt; they cover the car's front grill to reduce wind resistance; or they greatly increase air pressure in the vehicle's tires.

But for those who consistently seek advantage using legal measures, the step across the line is apparently a short one. It is particularly effective, for example, to mount extra-heavy wheels on the test vehicle, because heavier cars roll further. Doing so is not allowed, but discovering it would involve removing wheels and weighing them, a procedure that is not part of a standard test. The Netherlands testing agency TNO has long promoted the introduction of a requirement to weigh the wheels of test vehicles, but has never made much progress against the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

In the US, the system for vehicle approval is structured differently and is apparently more efficient. There, carmakers initially only have to confirm that they conform to legal limits. Later, government agencies perform tests in independent laboratories. And if fraudulent results are found, punishments are harsh.

Capitulating to Automakers

In Germany, by contrast, a stamp of approval from the Federal Motor Transport Authority for a new model is the end of the story. Carmakers don't have to worry about additional tests, not even should suspicions arise. Germany's Transportation Ministry recently responded to a query from the Green Party by saying that it was aware of a study showing increased nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel vehicles, but it saw "no cause" for additional testing.

"By capitulating to the interests of automakers, the German government is damaging the country's good reputation as a place to do business," says Jürgen Resch, head of the environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe.

"The complicity between the German government and the automobile industry is a voluntary failure of the state and ultimately the cause of the VW scandal," adds Oliver Krischer, transportation expert with the Green Party.

The fact that VW has now admitted to having manipulated the model approval tests of vehicles in its BlueMotion series makes clear the political failure. Which helps explain the alarmed reaction of Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, though his demands have thus far not gone beyond the self-evident. Should VW car owners be forced to make vehicle tax back-payments because their cars emit more CO2 than indicated, Dobrindt said, then VW should be liable for those costs.

Away from the cameras, though, the transport minister has been more protective of VW, particularly when it comes to the question as to whether the 200,000 vehicles with falsified emissions values should be taken off the roads. Dobrindt is in favor of simply allowing VW to apply for a new model allowance. Once it is issued, it would simply replace the old one.

New VW CEO Matthias Müller is grateful for any support he can get these days. After just six weeks at the top of Volkswagen, there are some already asking if he is fit for the job, questions that he has no patience for. The Porsche Cayenne's engine, currently suspected of having been manipulated, was developed and produced by Audi and approved in the US; during his term as head of Porsche, Müller had nothing to do with it. The concern's supervisory boards have assured that there is no cause for speculation regarding the role played by Müller. On the contrary, they are quite satisfied with the way he has gone about investigating the emissions scandal. He has been open and transparent, they say, even when doing so has been uncomfortable. "Müller stands for a new beginning," says one supervisory board member.

A Phone Call from the Chancellor

But it is questionable whether the Volkswagen scandal will cause the German government to rethink its cozy relationship with the automobile industry. Just two weeks ago, in fact, Berlin aggressively defended VW's interests in Brussels, as though the emissions sham never happened. At issue was a new testing method whereby vehicle emissions would be tested under real-life conditions on the road rather than just in the laboratory. The automobile industry had long resisted the new method, but as it became apparent that its introduction could no longer be stopped, Berlin turned to a trick: new vehicles will not have to immediately conform to regulatory limits. They will be allowed to exceed the limit by a so-called "discrepancy to conformity" factor.

The government in Berlin had agreed on a factor of 1.4, but on the day before the decisive meeting of the European Commission in Brussels, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) protested. The association insisted that the factor should be initially set at between 2.5 and 3, which would have allowed vehicles to emit two to three times the legal emissions limit.
In the end, VDA President Matthias Wissmann was able to win over the chancellor. On the morning of the Commission meeting, several of those involved say, Merkel called Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. At the end of the conversation, the discrepancy to conformity factor had been decided upon: 2.1.

Perhaps, though, that should be seen as progress. The automobile industry, after all, wasn't able to get everything it asked for.

bah! Spiegel.de ..that's just another American rag trying to bad mouth the German auto industry at the behest of the US government. YOU KNOW IT IS ALL AN AMERICAN CONSPIRACY!! What is wrong with you??

 

[Audio]

bah! Spiegel.de ..that's just another American rag trying to bad mouth the German auto industry at the behest of the US government. YOU KNOW IT IS ALL AN AMERICAN CONSPIRACY!! What is wrong with you??

You know what i find funny. They royally fucked up some river in USA while trying to clean up mines adjecent to it. And this scandal erupted perhaps a week or two later.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Now the news is that they may have cheated in the Petrol version too. This is a gift that goes on giving @Götterdämmerung we're you the one waxing eloquent about VW everywhere? Nice job bud.