Eight months after Oliver Schmidt — a former executive with Volkswagen’s regulatory compliance office — was arrested for his part in the company’s “Dieselgate” scandal, he has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges. [More]
emissions standards
Even Fixed VW Diesels Might Emit More Pollutants Than Law Allows
By 7.19.16
As part of its $15 billion settlement package to begin resolving its use of so-called “defeat devices” in 500,000 diesel-engine vehicles in the U.S. to skirt emission standards, Volkswagen has agreed to pay $2.7 million to establish a fund to reduce nitrogen oxide in any area of the U.S. were VW’s emissions-cheating vehicles were located. But it turns out those funds aren’t just for past emissions, they’re also for future ones. [More]
Chevy Cruze Owners Sue Carmaker Over Alleged Use Of Emissions “Defeat Device”
By 6.22.16
A week after General Motors was hit with a potential class action lawsuit related to the carmakers admission that it had incorrectly calculated the fuel economy on several SUV models, the company’s Chevrolet division is facing a second lawsuit alleging it tricked consumers into paying more for diesel-engine Chevy Cruze Turbo sedans equipped with emissions-cheating software. [More]
VW Gets Another Month To Come Up With Plan For Vehicles With “Defeat Devices”
By 3.24.16
Today was the day, the deadline for Volkswagen to come up with a fix for some 500,000 diesel-engine vehicles that contain “defeat devices” to skirt federal emissions standards, only that didn’t happen. Instead, a judge is giving the company one more month. [More]
Judge Gives Volkswagen Until March 24 To Come Up With Fix For Dirty Diesels
By 2.25.16
Volkswagen has one month to come up with a plan on how to fix nearly 500,000 diesel-engine vehicles that contain “defeat devices” to skirt federal emissions standards, a judge overseeing class-action suits against the carmaker declared on Thursday. [More]
Report: Regulators Ask VW To Produce More Electric Vehicles To Make Up For That Emissions-Cheating Stuff
By 2.22.16
While hundreds of thousands of consumers in the U.S. continue to wait for Volkswagen to create a plan to fix vehicles that cheat emission standards, federal regulators are apparently looking to the future, asking the carmaker to produce more electric vehicles in the country as a sort of penance for its use of “defeat devices” in diesel cars. [More]
States Say Volkswagen Won’t Turn Over Documents In Emissions Investigation
By 1.8.16
A group of state attorneys general called out Volkswagen on Friday for allegedly withholding documents related to its use of “defeat devices” to skirt emissions standards in 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. [More]
VW Investigating If Second Diesel Engine Line Contains “Defeat Devices”
By 10.22.15
Volkswagen has admitted to rigging the emissions control systems on 11 million diesel cars over the last seven years. But what about the company’s older diesel model vehicles? That’s apparently something the carmaker intends to find out by launching yet another investigation. [More]
Report: Volkswagen Knew Of “Defeat Devices” Eight Years Before EPA Action
By 9.28.15
An internal review spurred by the emissions scandal that has engulfed Volkswagen over the past week found that the carmaker knew that so-called “defeat devices,” used to trick emissions tests, were used in more than 11 million VW and 2.1 million Audi diesel vehicles for several years before the Environmental Protection Agency issued a violation notice to the manufacturer ordering it to recall some 500,000 sedans. [More]
BMW, Daimler Deny Manipulating Emissions Tests
By 9.24.15
Less than a week after regulators called out Volkswagen for using “defeat device” software to cheat on emissions tests for 11 million vehicles worldwide, the integrity of some other German automakers is being called into question. [More]
