VW emission scandal

i've been following the saga of vw and its diesel engines. the scandal has so far wiped around $20 billion from the companies share value and has now kicked off in asia.

vw also faces fines that could amount to $18 billion.

the problem is engine management software. in order to comply with emission requirements the ecu has a program to artificially cut polutants whilst under test, but resort to full filth mode once on the road.

it now seems other manufacturers of diesel vehicles are under suspicion of doing the same.

this is a major issue as certain governments made concessions to persuade drivers to switch to diesel in order to lower co2. it seems much of this may have been an illusion.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/21/uk-usa-volkswagen-idUKKCN0RL0JX20150921

It's interesting the claims the NOx emissions are upto 40x higher than they should be.

I remember Sheffield and the M1 were in the news last year due to the amount of those emissions near the M1 corridor, there was even suggestions of a 50mph speed limit to try and cut the levels of NOx.

I wonder if more companies are at it, could that explain why NOx levels are so high, because each car is throwing out many times more NOx than it should be???

It's interesting the claims the NOx emissions are upto 40x higher than they should be.

 

I remember Sheffield and the M1 were in the news last year due to the amount of those emissions near the M1 corridor, there was even suggestions of a 50mph speed limit to try and cut the levels of NOx.

 

I wonder if more companies are at it, could that explain why NOx levels are so high, because each car is throwing out many times more NOx than it should be???

for a long time there have been signs on the ring road asking people to cut polution by switching to petrol cars.

Really???

I've not seen a single one?

for a long time there have been signs on the ring road asking people to cut polution by switching to petrol cars.

That's due to your particulates that diesel produces.

I read an article on how we're going to be running out of diesel - not enough refineries and they're expensive to build. Lo and behold vw are caught "doctoring " the numbers and we'll all be using petrol again before you know it.

Conspiracy theorist? Moi? Never.

Comes along at just the time when some decent little petrol engines have been released as well.

Wouldn't these discrepancies or emissions lies be picked up at the first MOT? Does the US have British style MOTs?

Yeah, but VW said they're 'sorry', so we're all good now...

Sorry my a$$! Sorry they got caught more like. As if they hadn't got caught, they would have owned up and stopped cheating the system. I don't think so...

They're not sorry, and saying 'sorry' now is dishonest, an insult and displays a lack of integrity.

i wonder if governments will put up the tax rates on cars that are no longer low polution.

This raises as many questions about the tests as it does about the manufacturers of course. The fuel consumption test has always been a lie (ideal circumstances? My backside!) so this should make the EU sit up and take notice and alter that system.

It is interesting on a very large scale as well, most manufacturers have been introducing diesel over the past decade or so if they didn't have it in their arsenal, I am thinking of Honda, Subaru and Volvo in particular, I am sure there are more. Volvo in particular invested hundreds of millions into setting up their diesel-line at the expense of continued development of petrol engines, and now? Back to petrol and hybrids (which was the other line they invested in?)

This raises as many questions about the tests as it does about the manufacturers of course. The fuel consumption test has always been a lie (ideal circumstances? My backside!) so this should make the EU sit up and take notice and alter that system.

 

The fuel consumption test has never been a gauge of actual fuel use..it's a "level playing field" in that it's exactly the same test run on different cars so you can have some indication of each cars fuel economy relative to each other in exactly the same conditions...

Wouldn't these discrepancies or emissions lies be picked up at the first MOT? Does the US have British style MOTs?

The claim is the car is able to recognise when it is being tested for emissions, and at that point switch on all the emission control systems to get through the test.