VW Faces $17B Fine for Emissions Scam

An analysis I did of the affected 2.0 liter cars, versus their gasoline CO2 emission equivalents: Dieselgate and CO2 emissions | bhtooefr.org

Relevant given that many of these cars will be bought back, and even the ones that can be fixed will probably get closer to their claimed mileage than they are now. It's not considering other emissions, though, and there's a discussion on TDIClub right now considering that.

The upshot is that the best of the affected cars on combined mileage will emit as much CO2 as a gasoline car getting 28/32/39, the best on highway will emit as much CO2 as a gasoline car getting 40. The worst of the affected cars will emit as much CO2 as a gasoline car getting 25/27/32, although the worst on city will emit as much CO2 as a gasoline car getting 24.

This is not actually efficient.

 

It sounds like VW has to fix any car to US emission specs to resell it. Even if they ship it to a country with laxer emission laws. So many may end up scrapped. With the newer effected cars, this could be a shame when considering its short life and the CO2 emissions from manufacturing a new replacement for it.

 

I have been wondering about the 'embargoed' inventory in the back lots of VW dealers but now I understand what is likely to happen: VW Believes it Can Repair 85k 3-liter Diesels | TheDetroitBureau.com

Volkswagen believes it can fix the problem with about 85,000 vehicles using a faulty 3.0-liter diesel engine, the maker told a federal judge in San Francisco.
. . .

The challenge is to make the larger engine compliant with America’s diesel emissions standards, among the world’s toughest. The automaker will also have to prove a fix is durable enough to remain compliant during the time period prescribed by law.

During the San Francisco hearing, Justice Department lawyer Joshua Van Eaton said that testing was underway, but made it clear VW will have to prove the fix will work. It “takes time to be fully confident that whatever is being proposed is a technically sound solution,” he told the court.​

VW had changed to SCR equipped diesels without disabling the cheat. But the cheat led those cars to being embargoed at the dealer lots. The sooner the fix can be validated, the sooner VW can make these cars available to replace the cheat-diesels and/or bring in new customers ... for honest-diesels.

Bob Wilson

 

The embargoed inventory and the 3.0 liter vehicles in the quote above only slightly overlap. The 85,000 3 liter vehicles are VW Touaregs, Porsche Cayennes and Audi Q7s and a few A6s and A8s sold over several years - those are all larger V6 vehicles. The unsold cars primarily consist of Gen 3 2016 2 liter VW Golfs, Jettas, Golf Wagons et. al. Those can probably be fixed with software (along with the 2015s in customer driveways).

 

It's worth starting on page 86 (which is page 9 of Appendix B) here: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/enrd/pages/attachments/2016/06/28/vw_partial_2l_cd_and_appendices_docketed.pdf

A quick summary of what has to happen to the cars, hardware-wise:

Gen 1 (2009-2014 A3/Beetle/Golf/Jetta): Adding monitoring for NOx reduction, and a proposed fix includes: new exhaust flap, EGR filter, NOx trap or functionally equivalent hardware
Gen 2 (2012-2014 Passat): Add detection of diluted DEF
Gen 3 (all 2015 2.0 TDIs (and probably the 2016s that are sitting at port, but they're not included in this)): Add second NOx sensor to detect NOx output, potentially replace diesel oxidation catalyst

 

I wasn't going by the models:

I was going by an earlier, Greencarcongress report: Green Car Congress: A closer look at the basics of Volkswagen Group’s important new 2.0L diesel MDB engine

I have the impression from this 2014 article that the new, 2.0 TDI, EA288 engine had added the SCR missing from the earlier EA198. My understanding is SCR can bring the NOx down to acceptable level but a NOx-trap only, EA198 won't without a significant efficiency loss.

Now there is a legitimate issue of age testing. We know emissions equipment failures were the justification used by VW to reflash the cars with 'improved' VW, cheat-diesel software. Sometimes the emissions logic didn't cheat and led to a few, early emissions equipment failures. So VW flashed the cars so the cheat-code would work reliably without the accidental operation.

Bob Wilson

 

It's worth noting that Gen 2 is an EA189 that has SCR added.

 

Volkswagen Questions Future Of Diesel, Admits Electrification Will Be Easier, Cheaper

 

The plan seems to be falling into place: drive the TDI for free until 12/18, then trade it straight up for a 200 mile range e-Golf. I could live with that outcome.

 

wow, will they be available that soon?

 

Well, someone here has been saying it's not just VW issue, the below article somewhat confirmed it... 30 dirty diesels accused of emissions cheating!

It's not just VW: 30 dirty diesels accused of emissions cheating

 

it's not a pretty picture. but that's all i see, pictures. not even a website?

 

Some more were probably cheating in Europe. More were taking advantage of loop holes in the regulations. A few played fair, but the NEDC test cycle is so far removed from how the cars are actually driven that their emissions would exceed the test limits on the road no matter what.

 

With the exception of FIAT, whose emission system turned off 22 minutes after starting (knowingly thinking the emission test only last 20 minutes), the restis doing the so called "thermal window" to protect the engine from condensation.. which is fair enough to me. Not doing so will result in engine rust in the long run... don't think you can call that cheating.

RE point trollbait made above, here's an interesting article about the dieselgate war between Germany and France. They may even look at overhauling the NECD.
VW ‘dieselgate’: now it’s war

 

The thing is, the "thermal window" loophole was being abused massively, such that the emissions controls often didn't work. The answer isn't to shut off the emissions controls most of the time, it's to design an engine and emissions controls that can work most of the time.

And, "look at" overhauling the NEDC? Real Driving Emissions began being phased in January 2016 (although with no penalties for failure right now), and I believe WLTP will replace NEDC starting September 2017.

 

this is why the eu is collapsing into itself.

 

VW's misery continues - CARB says no to 3.0 V6 fix:

California Rejects VW Emissions Plan to Fix Diesel V-6 Models – News – Car and Driver | Car and Driver Blog

 

That and the dealer inventory that can not be sold. VW is still screwed by their own arrogance and I don't think they have really acknowledged the problem. I have the impression they are only sorry they got caught and have yet to "smell the roses" outside of their labs.

Bob Wilson

 

some of their 20 new bev's should be coming out any day now...

 

They're discontinuing the sale of the Jetta hybrid in the USA.