The VW scandal. How far does it go?

[Adrian E]

Defeat devices/strategies are explicitly banned in USA and European emission standards. What the vw software does is recognise it's on test in a lab and behave impeccably with exhaust aftertreatment working as it should. This involves a different map to that used in the real world, which cannot work in the real world. They're monitoring if the steering is turning, vehicle has been soaked at a set temperature for a minimum period, if all 4 wheels are rotating etc. For the adblue equipped vehicles it appears the dosing strategy is reduced to almost zero due to the size of the tank and not wanting customers to continually be refilling it (USA customers hate doing maintenance or visiting garages except for fuel)

[tintin]

…from the Beeb @ about 5pm:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34328689

Highlights are:
11 million Vehicles affected worldwide
€6.5bn Set aside by VW
$18bn Potential fines

So potentially quite big - and a bit of a cultural shock for the Germans.

[tonupkid]

If its been going on in Europe, do the falsely achieved low emission results affect the UK tax bands on the dodgy cars? If so maybe the UK government could claim to have been defrauded of tax.
Then HM C&E could perhaps be chasing VAG, or the end users and thus the end users going after VAG.
What a totally avoidable sh1t storm they've created for themselves.

Hubris. It'll be entertaining watching this one unfold

[snapdragon]

I agree strongly with ainarssems - the test is supposed to represent typical driving cycle and so the software has been optimised for this typical driving cycle. I think this is more about anti-foreign imports. I also wonder if it affects other BOSCH EDC cars such as BMW - afterall, how much programming and design is done by BOSCH and how much by VAG?

[mattylondon]

What VW did is like bringing in a ringer to do your exam papers.

[Norretal]

Made me snigger........

[David's8]

Originally Posted by tonupkid

If its been going on in Europe, do the falsely achieved low emission results affect the UK tax bands on the dodgy cars? If so maybe the UK government could claim to have been defrauded of tax.
Then HM C&E could perhaps be chasing VAG, or the end users and thus the end users going after VAG.
What a totally avoidable sh1t storm they've created for themselves.

Hubris. It'll be entertaining watching this one unfold

That was a thought which I had. I was at a garage the other day and the salesman had a 2 ltr diesel (a Ford as it happens) on which he said he paid 0£ tax 'cos of the low emissions! I must admit I was staggered. I am sure that VW are not alone.

[briang9]

I take it that this software must also "kick in" when the USA equivalent of an MOT emissions test is carried out during ownership of the car?

[ainarssems]

I don't think it will affect Tax band as the tax band is decided by CO2 g/km but they were 'cheating' NOx emissions as far as I understand, same goes for MOT as it's particulate matter tested at MOT and not NOx.

[snapdragon]

Apparently, the trigger was only the drive axle wheels turning and the others not such as on a roller.