Vocal Voices

Or a pattern of behaviour?

I must admit I have read the press on this fairly middle depth. What concerns me is what is being said against what is being done. For instance VW is claiming that the defeat devices did not have any impact on the Euro pollution tests. Yet, VW is updating software on the 2.0l engines and Replacing software AND Injectors on the 1.6l engines.

Let's take a step back here. If WV are having to make physical mechanical changes (injectors are critical to performance and emissions on Diesel engines), then the short version is that they are lying. The only possible reason for changing the injectors is that when the software is removed the engines will significantly emit more NOx on the tests.

So, VW, now we know. It is a pattern of behaviour which has degrees of application. As the US is finding, the attempt to hide rather than engineer out emissions is endemic throughout the VW line.

That means VW Diesel technology is sub standard, not, in fact, advanced as they would have us believe. There is Diesel technology which can meet the emissions targets. It gets harder every year but it can be done. Apparently VW doesn't want to do it....

Is attack the best form of defence?

I have little sympathy for VAG, even though I suspect others will follow, but with its attack is the EPA trying to deflect criticism of itself?

Were its procedures robust, standardised and cynical enough to produce independent figures counter to those of manufacturers? Apparently not.

It takes two to party.

True the EPA is playing catch up. However now they are playing catch up, they are doing due diligence and checking everything VAG is saying and finding that "Damage Limitation" (roughly translated to lying where they think they can get away with it), is in full flow.

In fact they are finding what I knew from the first second I read about the issue. VW can't make bulk engines which comply to the laws. So, instead they "make like they can".

Full marks for ingenuity, 0 marks for integrity and negative marks for risk mitigation and simple common sense. If they think they are going to get away with "oops we have been a bad boy, we'll fix it, we're so sorry", they can think again. VAG started with a good story, followed through well and fell at the second hurdle. Now they're going to find out just how difficult it can be to gain certification for a vehicle in the US.

The comment which is likely to seal the fate of VAG in the US is the one about the US not wanting competition. Now, to the best of my knowledge, every competition has rules. Those who break the rules are penalised, fined and banned from competing again, sometimes ever. Because cheating is not competing and if they think cheating is competing then the EPA can't ever trust a word they say, ever again.

Go for it VAG, if you can't find a large enough shovel, I've gone one to spare. That grave is looking a touch shallow right now, best make it a deep one....

I do not disagree with what you are saying re VAG, but there have been accusations down the years of the EPA using a 'light touch' with American engine manufacturers.

These things have never been fully investigated or explained to the satisfaction of European and Asian producers.

There will no doubt be vast fallout for VAG, and others, but the problem will not really be sorted out until there are global standards set using global testing procedures. These things have to be taken out of the hands of national or regional authorities. It can be done. Other industries often work to global standards, the motoring industry should be no different.

Let's put raw Jeep, GM and Chevy diesels up against those of Peugeot, Merc or VAG and see what comes out of the same standardised tests.

Perhaps but not every country or even every regions environment is the same. California suffers a lot because of the local climate, whereas the north eastern US is less impacted because of the active and clearing winds of the Atlantic.

There is good reason for the EPA regulations in California as they have some pretty horrendous pollution and need strict regulations to try and keep it in check.

I believe that every country should be able to set it's own emissions targets based on their environment and required quality of life. If the Auto manufacturers want to sell there then they'll just have to do the work to make sure the vehicles comply. If that means that the vehicles are more expensive locally, then that is up to the country or state who's regulations make it so.

Ford were fined in the 80's for doing this and pretty heavily. One Japanese company has been fined and I think others have faced issues too for trying to beat the regulations on the back of a poor product with not enough design engineering.

The US is predominantly petrol and Diesel variants tend to be specialised. You can bet that their emissions conform as they are too close to the EPA and also they are not general use vehicles where MPG particularly comes into play.

The big issue here is not the heavy handedness of the EPA but the willingness of them to accept that VW met the Euro legislation and produced both documentation and vehicles which appeared to meet the standards.

They trusted too much and are not going to make that mistake again. I don't blame them.

You slightly missed the point. The results of global standard emission tests should be available to all nations/regions. It is then up to them to act accordingly.

If the global tests show VAG vehicles to be above California rules then so be it, but if they are below Wyoming levels let them sell.

I'll go with that. Then the manufacturers would have no choice but to aim for the lowest emissions if they wanted to hit all markets..