OT: VW accused of evading emission tests

[no_such_reality]

VW could face $18-billion fine for evading smog rules, cheating pollution tests

Wow, from 2009 to 2015, VW is accused of writing engine control software to detect and change the engine programming during emission tests in order to pass and other wise allow up to 40X regulated levels.

[quote]The German automaker – which has admitted manipulating the cars – will eventually have to recall all of the vehicles and change the emissions systems at its own expense, regulators said. Additionally it could face a fine of about $18 billion, or $37,500 per car, federal environmental officials said.

The software trick allows the cars to emit up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution, environmental officials said.
[/quote]

Double wow.

I don’t foresee jail time which is unfortunate, but $18 Billion for this kind for premeditated fraud seems light, barely equal to the revenue from the selling of the modified vehicles. The penalty needs to be much steeper to make any other company pause.

[XBoxBoy]

[quote]Additionally it could face a fine of about $18 billion, or $37,500 per car, federal environmental officials said.
[/quote]

If they in fact end up with a fine of $37,500 per car it is enough to make any manufacturer think more than twice about doing something like this. Of course after litigation, they could end up with fines much less.

What I wonder is how did regulators find out about this? A whistle blower? If the whistle blower gets say 20-30% of the fine, that would be a pretty big paycheck for turning in your bosses.

[svelte]

[quote=XBoxBoy]
What I wonder is how did regulators find out about this? A whistle blower? If the whistle blower gets say 20-30% of the fine, that would be a pretty big paycheck for turning in your bosses[/quote]

Caught by university and govt testers. This article explains it:
https://www.yahoo.com/autos/volkswagen-charged-with-hacking-482000-diesels-to-129357726737.html

[quote=no_such_reality]I don’t foresee jail time which is unfortunate, but $18 Billion for this kind for premeditated fraud seems light, barely equal to the revenue from the selling of the modified vehicles. The penalty needs to be much steeper to make any other company pause.[/quote]

If the fine ends up being that amount, it would essentially mean they gave those cars to customers for free. That is a significant penalty. Whether it is enough is debatable.

[Coronita]

So much for VW clean diesel…

[Coronita]

VW’s market cap just took a $17billion haircut this morning. That’s really too bad. Because for the longest time, I had high hopes for clean diesel.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/vw-sees-billions-wiped-off-102639135.html

[spdrun]

Maybe we need more reasonable smog standards. For what time period are the levels 40x the allowable amount emitted?

[svelte]

I have to say i was always suspicious of their clean deisel claim. Even new ones seem stinkier than gas tho much better thsn old deisels.

[njtosd]

[quote=spdrun]Maybe we need more reasonable smog standards. For what time period are the levels 40x the allowable amount emitted?[/quote]

If I understand the cited article correctly, the curbs on emissions only are in place when the car is getting smog checked (“dyno mode”). In “road mode” there are no emissions controls in effect. Here is a quote:

“That [software] switch had two modes, which VW calls “road calibration” and “dyno calibration.” Only in “dyno” mode, which monitored for the precise conditions EPA and other agencies would use to test emissions, do the engine’s full emission controls go into effect. At all other times, the diesels’ software uses the “road” mode.”

Amazing in terms of the brashness of VW. And very disappointing.

[Coronita]

I think this may be the defining moment that VW/Audi are going to be setback for decades. It’s not a matter of how much pollution was really being emitted. It’s all about consumer trust…It’s really too bad, because for the longest time VAG was making pretty good progress coming back.

Porsche probably won’t be hit, since well, there’s enough loyalists to it, and plus there probably is at most one tiny percentage of the vehicles affected by this (Cayenne diesel)

Ironic that Audi’s marketing line is “truth in engineering”…lol

[ltsddd]

$18B is probably just the beginning. There will be lawsuits from individuals, class-action and probably even from states themselves. I am curious how California is going to react to this, especially with its strict emission controls policy.

[outtamojo]

What if they employed similar software on their gasoline engines…nah they wouldn’t would they?

[spdrun]

I’m not sure if the VW diesels were ever California certified anyway.

[Coronita]

[quote=outtamojo]What if they employed similar software on their gasoline engines…nah they wouldn’t would they?[/quote]

Unlikely… Tuners have been tuning VW gasoline engines for some time. I would suspect some tuner would have already discovered that a long time ago.

[outtamojo]

Apparently VW is not the first to cheat on emissions
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/volkswagen-not-first-to-be-accused-of-using-software-to-fool-regulators-2015-09-22

ADRs anyone? (not yet though)

[joec]

I assume VW would do a recall for all diesels and fix/make compliant, but if putting it in the correct compliant mode makes the car run worst (read=performance), do you think owners would be given the option to “put” the car back to VW since you were cheated in the type of performance you should have gotten?

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