Did you really think Dieselgate only involved the Volkswagen Group’s four-cylinder engine lineup? Hah! The Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board announced today that VW’s 3.0-liter diesel V6, found on Porsche, Audi and VW models, also had an emissions cheating system. Update: And VW denies this. See below.
The agencies reported violations have been found on the engines of the 2014 Volkswagen Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and the 2016 Audis A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5. Those vehicles had “emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) up to nine times EPA’s standard.”
This violation covers about 10,000 cars in the U.S. alone.
As before, the EPA there exists “software in the electronic control module of these vehicles that senses when the vehicle is being tested for compliance with EPA emissions standards,” and in that mode the NOx emissions are low enough to meet legal limits. In normal driving, the engines are not in compliance.
More on this as we get it.
Update: Volkswagen has responded to these allegations, somewhat surprisingly, with a denial. Here’s the statement the automaker sent to Automotive News:
“Volkswagen AG wishes to emphasize that no software has been installed in the 3-liter V6 diesel power units to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner,” the company said in a statement. “Volkswagen will cooperate fully with the EPA clarify this matter in its entirety.”
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