Last week, Japanese auto maker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. admitted to manipulating test data for four domestic mini-vehicle models.
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Japan’s sixth-largest automaker had lost half its market value around $3.9 billion after last week’s admission that it overstated fuel economy of four domestic minivehicle models, including two produced for Nissan Motor Co.
The automaker has also said it used testing methods that were not compliant with Japanese standards going back to at least 2002. Mitsubishi’s admission has prompted Japanese authorities to raid one of the automaker’s research and development centers, with authorities warning of reimbursement to vehicle owners and the government, according to Reuters.
The Sankei said that Mitsubishi had also manipulated fuel economy data on the i-MiEV electric vehicle, which is also sold overseas. He also said he did not know why workers resorted to lying about mileage. Mitsubishi Motors said the USA testing method was used as it was shorter and saved time.
“We should have switched, but it turns out we didn’t”, said Ryugo Nakao, executive vice-president.
Mitsubishi admitted that the aggressive internal targets in fuel economy on their vehicles may have placed pressure on employees prompting them to rig the results of the test.
He added: “Judging by what the investigations have shown so far, it seems there was pressure”. And this week, another scandal has surfaced with the motor group confessing that it has used fuel consumption tests that broke Japanese rules for the past 25 years.
He said: “I was totally unaware this was happening”. However, the other Mitsubishi firms say helping the vehicle maker this time would be hard, as they are dealing with their own financial issues.
Mitsubishi said Tuesday that its procedure to calculate fuel efficiency has not complied with Japanese law since 1991, a much longer time period than previously known.
An internal investigation by Mitsubishi Motors has found the company has been meddling with fuel economy data since 1991.
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Some 600,000 of the vehicles had been sold in Japan and President Tetsuro Aikawa hinted that more irregularities might be found.
