Porsche, Audi Added To Diesel Cheating List

It just keeps getting worse for Volkswagen. Accused by the EPA and CARB back in September of installing software in almost a half million 4 cylinder diesel engine cars sold in America that gives false reports on how much pollution those cars were spewing into the atmosphere, the company admitted its wrongdoing and apologized profusely. At the time, it assured regulators and customers that its V-6 diesel engines, installed in certain Porsche and Audi models such as the Cayenne and Q7, did not have the same cheating software.

Wrong, says the EPA. On November 2, it sent Volkswagen a second notice of violation of the Clean Air Act. The new notice claims  VW installed software on VW, Porsche, and Audi V-6 diesel powered vehicles manufactured between 2014 and 2016 that ended up increasing the car’s nitrogen oxide emissions by up to nine times the EPA’s standard.

According to TninkProgress, the”defeat device” software is able to sense when the cars are being put through federal emissions testing. When that happens, the cars are put into a lower emissions mode. According to the EPA, “the vehicle meets emission standards”  in that mode. However, one second after the test is completed, the car switches back into normal mode and emits far more pollutants. This second notice of violation encompasses 10,000 vehicles sold since 2014, and an “unknown volume of 2016 vehicles.”

“Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues,” Richard Corey, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement. “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.”

The US Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the matter. Apparently elevated nitrous oxide levels are a bigger threat to society than cheating Wall Street bankers who take down the entire global economic system with their avarice and greed.

“All companies should be playing by the same rules,” Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator at the EPA, said in a statement. “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.”

No one yet knows why Volkswagen elected to program its diesel powered car to cheat. Was it hubris? Stupidity? Something else? Whatever the reason, it has cost the company nearly half of its market value and made it subject to potential fines in the US of up to $37,500 per car.  And that’s before the lawyers get involved with their class action suits on behalf of aggrieved Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi owners. The grandkids will probably be out of high school before this mess is resolved.