Diesel
-
Volkswagen today announced that it had reached a settlement with owners of Audi, Porsche, and VW vehicles fitted with its 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine. Different remedies apply depending on the vehicle's model year: 2009 through 2012 cars will be bought back, while 2013 through 2016 vehicles will be modified to comply with emission limits. The announcement ticks off another box off its lengthy list of problems stemming from the VW diesel scandal that erupted in September 2015. DON'T MISS: VW settles 2.0-liter diesel cheating cases: felony pleas, $4.3 billion fines The 2009 through 2012...
-
EU cracks down as diesel scandal exposes lax tests country by country
The Volkswagen diesel scandal has led to much greater scrutiny on the methods regulatory agencies use to test vehicle emissions, particularly in Europe. Even before news of Volkswagen's diesel "defeat device" software broke, the European fuel-economy testing cycle was known to be overly optimistic...
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 Ram, Jeep diesels should be certified by EPA shortly, company says
Fiat Chrysler may have a plan to address EPA complaints regarding software in its 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6, according to comments by CEO Sergio Marchionne. The EPA announced earlier this month that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles had failed to disclose eight separate software routines that affect the...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW diesel probe finally reaches to top; former CEO Winterkorn investigated by German prosecutors
German prosecutors have extended a probe into Volkswagen's use of "defeat device" software in diesel cars to former CEO Martin Winterkorn. Winterkorn, who resigned shortly after the existence of VW "defeat device" software was revealed by the EPA, has said he had no knowledge of the...
Stephen Edelstein -
VW dealers settle too; average payout almost $2 million each
A settlement between Volkswagen and its U.S. franchised dealers over the diesel-emissions scandal has been approved by a federal judge. First announced last August, the settlement calls for VW dealers to compensated for the alleged loss in value of their franchises related to fallout from the...
Stephen Edelstein -
Where do bought-back VW diesels go? Dead NFL stadiums, among other places
When news of its diesel-emissions cheating broke last September, Volkswagen issued a stop-sale order for affected TDI diesel cars. Now that a settlement for 2.0-liter TDI models has been approved, the automaker is also beginning to buy back cars with illegal "defeat device" software from customers...
Stephen Edelstein -
Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, believes diesels will allow the company to meet future, tougher fuel-economy standards. But that faith is being sorely tested at the moment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now says the company failed to disclose software for its EcoDiesel 3.0-liter V-6 engine that could affect emissions. DON'T MISS: EPA says Ram, Jeep diesel emission software violates Clean Air Act (updated) Even before the EPA publicly made that accusation, Marchionne said that rising costs could eventually make diesel irrelevant in passenger cars...
-
How Paris will ban the dirtiest diesels: color-coded stickers
Yesterday, analyses of the air in several parts of France showed it contained high levels of ultrafine particles emitted by road vehicles. Among the guiltiest culprits were older diesel vehicles with minimal emission-control systems, particularly those built under the Euro 4 standard in effect...
John Voelcker -
Full-size diesel pickup truck that gets 37 mpg? Achates says yes
Could a full-size pickup truck ever get a fuel-economy rating of 37 mpg? California-based Achates Power believes it can, and its novel engine uses a design that dates back to the earliest days of internal combustion to do so. The company announced its two-stroke, opposed-piston diesel engine for...
Stephen Edelstein -
GM adds B20 biodiesel capability to Chevy, GMC diesel trucks, cars
When it comes to reducing emissions, fleet operators generally have fewer options than individual buyers of passenger cars. There are fewer zero-emission vehicle options for vehicles that see commercial use, although those vehicles often cover more miles every year than the average passenger car...
Stephen Edelstein -
Court orders full reimbursement for VW diesel owner in Germany
A lot has been said about Volkswagen's use of "defeat device" software in diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests, but a German court may win the prize for most-creative description. VW "defeat device" software is like putting horse meat in lasagna, three German judges decreed during a recent...
Stephen Edelstein -
French target Renault, Brits query Fiat, over diesel emissions
The past week has not been a particularly pleasant one for advocates of diesel cars. Volkswagen agreed to plead guilty to criminal counts related to its diesel-emissions cheating and pay $4.3 billion in fines, while U.S. prosecutors arrested one of the company's executives and indicted five more...
Stephen Edelstein -
Last week, Volkswagen settled an array of criminal and civil charges over its 16-month-old diesel scandal with the U.S. Justice Department. The news of the settlement was quickly swamped by a variety of further stories, both on the regulatory and diesel fronts. Those included the arrest of one Volkswagen executive, and the issuance of warrants for five others who remain in Germany and seem unlikely to be extradited. DON'T MISS: 5 more VW diesel execs indicted, including R&D head, after weekend arrest But the deal signed by VW and the Justice Department is significant in its own right...
-
All 2017 BMW diesels certified by EPA, production now starting
This might not seem to be the most convenient moment to restart production of a gaggle of diesel cars. The Volkswagen diesel scandal continues to unfold, and last week the EPA accused Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) of failing to reveal eight separate software routines that altered the behavior of...
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford F-150 pickup to get V-6 diesel engine in spring 2018 (updated)
Formerly the domain of heavy-duty pickups, diesel engines are slowly creeping into smaller trucks. Ram arguably started the most recent trend with the 1500's 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. General Motors sells diesel-powered Chevrolet Colorados and GMC Canyons. Now, the Ford F-150 is getting in on the...
Brandon Turkus -
Justice Department launches criminal probe of FCA diesels: report
It's been a busy week for U.S. agencies as they release information on their final actions before a new administration takes office. Yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly opened a criminal probe into the actions of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles over the emission certification of its...
John Voelcker -
5 more VW diesel execs indicted, including R&D head, after weekend arrest
On Wednesday, six senior VW Group executives were indicted by the Justice Department on multiple counts of conspiracy and intent to defraud. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, to defraud customers, and to violate the Clean Air Act. All stemmed from the Volkswagen diesel...
Stephen Edelstein -
EPA says Ram, Jeep diesel emission software violates Clean Air Act (updated)
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles may have used illegal software for emission controls to get more than 100,000 trucks and SUVs through emissions testing, the EPA said Thursday. The agency avoided dubbing that software "defeat devices," but it has asked FCA to explain up to eight auxiliary emissions...
Aaron Cole -
The head of VW Group's U.S. regulatory compliance group was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation this weekend on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Oliver Schmidt led the German automaker's regulatory compliance during 2014 and the early part of 2015. The Volkswagen diesel emission scandal erupted in September 2015 when the EPA announced that VW had admitted building "defeat device" software into its diesel cars to enable them to comply with emission tests while emitting up to 35 times as many nitrogen oxides as permitted by law. DON'T MISS: Emission updates for...
-
Advocacy group says diesel cars coming back; it meant trucks
The Diesel Technology Forum notes that diesel's market share increased in the second half of 2016, but that was mostly due to truck sales.
Stephen Edelstein -
Emission updates for 2015 VW, Audi 2.0-liter TDI diesels OKed by regulators
The $14.7 billion diesel-emission settlement among Volkswagen and regulatory agencies required VW to buy back or modify almost half a million TDI vehicles from model years 2009 through 2015. While the buybacks have received the most attention—and most owners are expected to take...
John Voelcker -
Diesel owners in Germany who sue VW face significant hurdles
German Volkswagen diesel owners face more obstacles in securing compensation than U.S. owners.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW diesel buyback advice: don't strip parts off your car first, judge warns
The judge overseeing the Volkswagen 2.0-liter diesel settlement advised owners not to strip parts off their cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW to pay $1 billion-plus for 3.0-liter diesel cheats; separately, Bosch pays too
Costs of a Volkswagen 3.0-liter diesel settlement could rise to $1 billion.
Stephen Edelstein