The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board said last week the software was on about 85,000 Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles with 3-liter, six-cylinder engines going back to the 2009 model year. The company said in later meetings with CARB that the software in question may be a defeat device under USA law. Which sounds like they’re splitting hairs.
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The revelations are making it harder for VW to absolve itself from arguing that the scandal occurred as a result of a handful of rogue engineers who knew about the installation of the defeat device. It turns on emission control systems when the cars are being tested and turns it off when the tests are over, causing the cars to appear to meet pollution standards while in ordinary, everyday use they may be emitting more pollution than the law allows. Which does seem barking.
Audi of America is following its parent company’s lead and is offering a “goodwill package” to owners of the Audi A3 equipped with the 2.0-liter TDI engine.
Audi is working out a way to clean up the exhaust emissions of its 3.0L diesel V6 engine, the company said today in a statement.
The 1.2-liter diesel likely only needs a software update, with the plan to be presented to the KBA by the end of the month, Mueller said.
We learned from Car Recalls UK that the reason why Volkswagen is only compensating those affected drivers in the U.S. is because this is seen as a new and important market to the USA, along with the fact that the Secretary of State can impose an unlimited fine on the carmaker.
VW said it was too early to give an estimate of the costs of installing the so-called air flow transformer. That will now be done with the updated software and the documentation, the company said in a statement.
Volkswagen has created a fix for cars affected by the emissions scandal, and hopes to recall United Kingdom cars in 2016. The A3 TDI has the same emission cheating software installed as the offending VWs and the new deal is the same that VW buyers are getting.
Starting the European recall would be a step forward in resolving the crisis that’s engulfed Volkswagen since becoming public on September 18. Vehicles affected by the 3.0-liter V6 “defeat” system are already outfitted with a urea-injection system to mitigate NOx emissions.
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The engine is used on diesel versions of the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 starting in the 2009 model year.
