Paul Eisenstein/The Detroit Bureau
German authorities now say 2.8 million Volkswagen diesel vehicles sold in that country “are affected” by the maker’s rigging of emissions tests. But VW may not be the only maker implicated. The suspect turbodiesel engine used by Volkswagen apparently also was sold to several other manufacturers, including Chrysler and Mitsubishi for use in some of their European models.
Regulators there and in the U.S. are planning to expand random testing to include not just VW models but diesel vehicles sold by other manufacturers. Several reports from Europe indicate that some Daimler AG and BMW models might also exceed emissions standards, though it is unclear if that implies any intentional efforts to game the testing process.
For their part, the two makers insist they have followed the letter of the law, both in Europe and in other markets including the United States.
“We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles,” said Daimler AG, parent of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands, in a statement. “A defeat device, a function which illegitimately reduces emissions during testing, has never been and will never be used at Daimler. This holds true for both diesel and petrol engines. Our engines meet and adhere to every legal requirement.”
VW’s admission that it installed software, known as a “defeat device” in 11 million of its diesel vehicles has set off a frenzy of concern around the world. Regulators in markets as far flung as the European Union and South Korea have said they will begin investigating the problem.
Italian authorities plan to randomly sample the missions of 1,000 diesel vehicles of various makes on the road to see if they comply with regional standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which was first to discover and disclose VW’s cheating, also intends to test diesel vehicles.
In the U.S., at least, it now appears that 482,000 vehicles equipped with Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter diesel will be recalled because they can emit up to 40 times the permissible level of noxious exhaust gases when not being tested. What has been uncertain is whether the software actually was engaged in other markets.
“It’s now clear that vehicles in Germany are affected by these manipulations. Based on our current knowledge they are vehicles with 2.0 litre and 1.6 litre diesel engines,” German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the country’s parliament on Friday.
Read more of the original article in The Detroit Bureau.
