Volkswagen gets busted.

Siddar

Siddar

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They programmed the cars on board computer to only turn on full emissions control when car was being tested. They now face 18 billion in potential fines.

EPA says VW intentionally violates clean air standards - Yahoo News

The cars, all built in the last seven years, include the VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf and Passat models, as well as the Audi A3. The vehicles all contain a device programmed to detect when they are undergoing official emissions testing, the EPA said. The cars only turn on full emissions control systems during that testing. The controls are turned off during normal driving situations, the EPA said, allowing the cars to emit more than the legal limit of pollutants.
The EPA called the company's use of the so-called "defeat device" illegal and a threat to public health.
 
hodj

hodj

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Goddamn Nazis striking from the shadows against our climate!
 
khorum

khorum

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I wonder how 40-year-old Greek retirees they bailed out with the money that saved.
 
Chanur

Chanur

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It makes me want to buy a VW. I am not surprised it was the diesels either since the EPA has a major hard on for diesel cars.
 
Chukzombi

Chukzombi

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kinda funny since at least some of that bilked money went to housing all those Syrians/ISIS bumrushing Germany. woops! sorry guys, you need to GTFO. no more money for you! also its funny because the EPA got punked so easily.
 
Szlia

Szlia

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It would be funny to be a fly on the walls of the legal department at VW right now. If they were not consulted on the legality of this trick, they must be really really pissed off, and if they were consulted and green lighted it, they must be very very scared.
 
Furry

Furry

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what sort of non-american company would be insane enough to try this?
 
Skanda

Skanda

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Were they pulling this with their European models or were they just trying to give all Americans cancer?
 
Palum

Palum

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The funny thing is diesels are usually lower HP anyway. I wonder if the cars will be significantly impacted by the ECU changes coming. I can't imagine VW would go through the hassle unless it actually impacted engine performance in a way noticeable to consumers which means a class action of owners as well I'm sure.
 
Adebisi

Adebisi

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Also cute considering how much hippies love their VWs.

Chortles.
 
K

koljec_sl

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Palum_sl said:
The funny thing is diesels are usually lower HP anyway. I wonder if the cars will be significantly impacted by the ECU changes coming. I can't imagine VW would go through the hassle unless it actually impacted engine performance in a way noticeable to consumers which means a class action of owners as well I'm sure.
Click to expand...
Not sure if this is connected, but 2015 GTIs (not affected by the current recall; they are gasoline) made before May had very accessible and flash-able ECUs. That's one of the reasons to buy a GTI -- a $700 tune can put the otherwise stock car near 300hp and 350tq. But around May, the ECUs changed, and there is not yet a workaround for the new 2015 and 2016 ECUs (one company claims to have one, but it requires the removal of the ECU and shipment to their site, which is not really any sort of practical solution).

Everyone who tunes GTIs figured this was in response to the tuning community and its increased potential for warranty claims. But this announcement is close enough to the ECU change that I wonder if VW isn't trying to hide more.

From the original NYTimes article:Richard Corey, an executive officer on the California Air Resources Board, credited "dogged detective work in the lab" for the discovery of the software, which he said resulted in the admission from Volkswagen that the company was using the devices.

E.P.A. officials declined to reveal why they chose to initiate the investigation.

I don't know if anyone in federal or state government is doing "dogged detective work." Instead I wonder if it was someone with ties to the tuning community that alerted the EPA. Then again, the U.S. really doesn't seem to want diesel used by non-commercial vehicles, so maybe they were just looking for a reason to nail the company that provides them.

VW Auto Group is responsible for many brands, including VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ducati.
 
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