Showing posts with label california air resources board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label california air resources board. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Professor Dr. Winterkorn Resigns As VW Group CEO Over Diesel Defeat Devices

Professor Dr. Winterkorn has resigned as Volkswagen CEO after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to Volkswagen for “using a defeat device in cars to evade clean air standards" which "is illegal and a threat to public health”. Exposure to these nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollutants has been linked to a range of serious respiratory illnesses that can cause hospitalization or even premature death. Children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing respiratory disease are at higher health risk from these pollutants.

In a statement Winterkorn said, "I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrong doing on my part."

The NOV alleges that four-cylinder Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars from model years 2009-2015 included a sophisticated software algorithm that detects when the car is undergoing official emissions testing, and turns full emissions controls on only during the test. This results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory or testing station, but during normal operation when they emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) that contribute to nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and fine particulate matter, at up to 40 times the standard.

The software produced by Volkswagen is a “defeat device,” as defined by the Clean Air Act. The software circumvents EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants. California is separately issuing an In-Use Compliance letter to Volkswagen. The EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have both initiated investigations based on Volkswagen’s alleged actions.

The allegations cover roughly 482,000 diesel passenger cars sold in the United States since 2008: Jetta (Model Years 2009 – 2015), Beetle (Model Years 2009 – 2015), Audi A3 (Model Years 2009 – 2015), Golf (Model Years 2009 – 2015) and Passat (Model Years 2014-2015).

The Clean Air Act requires vehicle manufacturers to certify to EPA that their products will meet applicable federal emission standards to control air pollution, and every vehicle sold in the U.S. must be covered by an EPA-issued certificate of conformity. Motor vehicles equipped with defeat devices, which reduce the effectiveness of the emission control system during normal driving conditions, cannot be certified. By making and selling vehicles with defeat devices that allowed for higher levels of air emissions than were certified to EPA, Volkswagen violated two important provisions of the Clean Air Act.

EPA and CARB uncovered the defeat device software after independent analysis by researchers at West Virginia University, working with the International Council on Clean Transportation, a non-governmental organization, raised questions about emissions levels, and the agencies began further investigations into the issue. In September, after EPA and CARB demanded an explanation for the identified emission problems, Volkswagen admitted that the cars contained defeat devices.

VW may be liable for large civil penalties and injunctive relief for the violations alleged in the NOV which could cost VW billions of dollars not only in fines but owners' class action lawsuits and lost business due to distrust.

Before announcing his resignation, Winterkorn pledged to "do everything necessary in order to reverse the damage this has caused."

Friday, March 23, 2012

California Regulations Include Clean Diesel


Ever since the Green Car Journal selected the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel and Audi A3 TDI Clean Diesel as their Green Car of the Year back-to-back in 2009 and 2010 respectively, and having driven a Volvo XC60 D5 AWD diesel (pictured above) in Sweden for a week in 2010 with amazing fuel economy, I've become a big advocate of the new clean diesel powered vehicles, especially for those highway commuters who don't really benefit from the electric hybrids.

Clean Diesel engines, which are 20 to 40 percent more fuel efficient than comparable gasoline engines, will play a big part in the California Air Resources Board new tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions standards for new passenger vehicles. The California ARB's new Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV III) regulations, the most stringent in the world, will get phased in during model years 2017-2025. In that time, all vehicles sold in California will have to meet Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) tailpipe standards. The new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel has reduced sulfur emissions by 97 percent.

Recent Diesel Award Winners:
  • The all new 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI clean diesel was voted the winner of the 2012 Earth, Wind and Power Car of the Year of the Most Earth Friendly Vehicles at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit;
  • The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel was named Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year;
  • In 2010 Audi Q7 TDI Clean Diesel was voted the 2010 Earth, Wind and Power Truck of the Year and the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel was voted the 2009 Earth, Wind and Power Car of the Year.
New Clean Diesels Coming To The U.S.
  • Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel in 2013 or 2014, and possibly other Jeep diesels later;
  • General Motors Cadillac ATS diesel in the near future;
  • Audi A8 TDI diesel in 2013;
  • Porsche Cayenne diesel in 2012;
  • GM Chevrolet Cruze diesel in 2013;
  • Mazda SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter clean diesel engine;
  • Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350 BlueTEC diesel in 2012 after a 17-year absence;
  • Volkswagen Passat, which was recently named the Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year, began production of the Passat diesel in its new Chattanooga, TN plant in the summer of 2011.
Source: The Diesel Technology Forum, a non-profit national organization, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines, fuel and technology. For more information visit www.dieselforum.org.