Ingolstadt has ten days to respond. Countdown begins.
Dieselgate is the scandal that won’t go away. Almost two years since it initially broke that the German automotive conglomerate Volkswagen had fitted its diesel engines with emissions cheating software (with ramifications felt around the globe, spurring a shift in buying trends, altering perceptions of diesel, and influencing legislation surrounding oilers), the German Transport Ministry has levelled accusations against Audi (another VW Group company) stating that its A7 grand tourer and A8 limousine have been cheating their emissions testing.
The Ministry stated that emissions cheating software did as much as halve the amount of harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emitted during tests, and was thwarted by simply turning the steering wheel further than 15º during trials. This is largely similar to how the Dieselgate cheating software functioned, detecting that it was being put through a simulated trial when it was being ‘driven’ without the steering wheel turning at all.
The authorities have given Audi ten days to find a solution to this issue and state a plan to tackle the software. A recall for some 24,000 cars was launched last Tuesday, with some 14,000 affected cars (built between 2009 and 2013) residing within German borders. Audi has been no stranger to the Dieselgate scandal, with its former head of powertrain development Stefan Knirsch quitting in September last year while being accused of having been involved (to some degree) in the emissions cheating program.
In response to the accusations being levelled against it, Audi has issued the following statement:
"The latest analyses of A7 and A8 automobiles of model years 2010 through 2013 with V6 and V8 engines certified according to the EU5 emission standard have revealed that in certain situations, NOx emissions are between 20% and 100% above the limit."
"The reason is that in some situations, engine speed is unfavourably influenced by the transmission software, which can have a negative impact on the engine’s emissions. A recall is likely to start in July 2017. As only a software update will be installed, the time required for the work on the cars will be about 30 minutes.
Audi will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities and the Federal Motor Transport Authority. It apologises to its customers for the inconvenience and is doing everything to ensure that the anomalies it has discovered will be corrected as soon as possible.”
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