VW defeat device software in MOST diesel cars

The Volkswagen defeat device software to scam emissions test is fitted to most VW Group cars, and VW are already admitting to 11 million EA 189 engine cars affected.

The news that VW has fitted ‘defeat device’ software to its diesel-engined cars to scam emissions testing has only been running since Friday, but it is starting to look like a juggernaut VW are going to find hard to stop.

VW has now admitted that the the defeat device software is fitted in most of the VW group cars, but claim the only engine that delivers significantly different result in the real world is the EA 159 2.0 litre TDI. But that amounts to around 11 million cars worldwide.

But the question is already being asked: “If the defeat device software only impacts the EA 159 engine, why is it fitted across the whole diesel range?”

That’s a question that will start to be answered as governments on both side of the Pond start to dig in to the VW Group’s diesel cars, with the whole diesel-using car group – VW, SEAT, Skoda, Audi and Porsche – in the firing line, with the EPA now looking closely at the VW 3.0 litre TDI too – as fitted to Audis and Porsches.

VW share price down by a THIRD

Not only are VW facing fines of up to £11 billion, the cost of recalling the 11 million cars they’ve already admitted are scamming emissions tests, the cost of law suits from disgruntled owners and dealers, but the VW share price is in free-fall too.

At the end of trading on Tuesday (22/9) the VW share price had dropped by around a third, knocking some £22 billion off its worth.

Will petrol-engined cars be affected?

The whole defeat device scam has happened because it costs a lot to make diesel engines meet emissions targets for NOx, whilst petrol engines are much cleaner in this regard.

But if VW are fixing NOx emissions on diesel cars, are they also fixing CO2 emissions on petrol cars?

It’s a sensible question, and one that government agencies will now be looking at very closely. They will also be looking at what other car makers are doing, because it’s hard to believe that it’s only VW trying to scam the test and save money by fitting defeat device software to their cars.

Are cars in the UK and Europe affected by the defeat device software?

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) yesterday issued a statement that said:

All cars must complete a standard emissions test, which, unlike in the US, is independently witnessed by a government-appointed independent agency.

That suggests the SMMT believe this somehow makes it impossible for VW – or any other car maker – to scam the EU tests, but surely the point of the defeat device software is that it is fully automated, and completely hidden, and only switches on when cars are being tested? How do EU tests control that?

Will heads roll at VW?

So far, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn has held on to his job – instead of falling on his sword as he should have – but that could all change later today as VW’s board meet to address the crisis engulfing their company.

It does seem likely Winterkorn will go, unless VW can point the finger at someone like Ferdinand Piech – the recently ousted board member – who would be a convenient scapegoat.

More later.