The Porsche Cayenne was one of the models found to be rigged with a 'defeat device.' (Photo: Kev Haworth Photography/flickr/cc)
Nov 02, 2015
The Volkswagen emissions scandal grew on Monday as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) charged the auto manufacturer with installing so-called "defeat devices" in yet more cars, including several luxury Audi and Porsche models.
EPA issued its second notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act against VW, which owns Porsche and Audi, after the agency screened a handful of models from all three brands--including some which have yet to come on the market. Of those investigated, the EPA found that the following diesel models were equipped with devices rigged to beat emissions test: the 2014 VW Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5.
"VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "All companies should be playing by the same rules."
The Clean Air Act bans defeat devices and requires all car manufacturers to certify to the EPA that their products meet emissions standards to control air pollution. At last count, VW's engine rigging was estimated to affect 11 million cars worldwide.
"On September 25, the California Air Resources Board [ARB] sent letters to all manufacturers letting them know we would be screening vehicles for potential defeat devices," said Richard Corey, ARB's executive officer. "Since then ARB, EPA and Environment Canada have continued test programs on additional diesel-powered passenger cars and SUVs. These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues."
"This is a very serious public health matter," Corey said. "ARB and EPA will continue to conduct a rigorous investigation that includes testing more vehicles until all of the facts are out in the open."
According to a study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the excess emissions from the rigging will cause 59 early deaths in the U.S.
The latest development bodes poorly for VW's new executive officer, Matthias Muller, who ran Porsche before taking over VW in September after then-CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down. He vowed last week to be "ruthless" in punishing those involved in the emissions rigging and added, "We are leaving no stone unturned to find out what exactly happened and to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
The Volkswagen emissions scandal grew on Monday as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) charged the auto manufacturer with installing so-called "defeat devices" in yet more cars, including several luxury Audi and Porsche models.
EPA issued its second notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act against VW, which owns Porsche and Audi, after the agency screened a handful of models from all three brands--including some which have yet to come on the market. Of those investigated, the EPA found that the following diesel models were equipped with devices rigged to beat emissions test: the 2014 VW Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5.
"VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "All companies should be playing by the same rules."
The Clean Air Act bans defeat devices and requires all car manufacturers to certify to the EPA that their products meet emissions standards to control air pollution. At last count, VW's engine rigging was estimated to affect 11 million cars worldwide.
"On September 25, the California Air Resources Board [ARB] sent letters to all manufacturers letting them know we would be screening vehicles for potential defeat devices," said Richard Corey, ARB's executive officer. "Since then ARB, EPA and Environment Canada have continued test programs on additional diesel-powered passenger cars and SUVs. These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues."
"This is a very serious public health matter," Corey said. "ARB and EPA will continue to conduct a rigorous investigation that includes testing more vehicles until all of the facts are out in the open."
According to a study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the excess emissions from the rigging will cause 59 early deaths in the U.S.
The latest development bodes poorly for VW's new executive officer, Matthias Muller, who ran Porsche before taking over VW in September after then-CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down. He vowed last week to be "ruthless" in punishing those involved in the emissions rigging and added, "We are leaving no stone unturned to find out what exactly happened and to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
The Volkswagen emissions scandal grew on Monday as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) charged the auto manufacturer with installing so-called "defeat devices" in yet more cars, including several luxury Audi and Porsche models.
EPA issued its second notice of violation (NOV) of the Clean Air Act against VW, which owns Porsche and Audi, after the agency screened a handful of models from all three brands--including some which have yet to come on the market. Of those investigated, the EPA found that the following diesel models were equipped with devices rigged to beat emissions test: the 2014 VW Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5.
"VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the Office for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "All companies should be playing by the same rules."
The Clean Air Act bans defeat devices and requires all car manufacturers to certify to the EPA that their products meet emissions standards to control air pollution. At last count, VW's engine rigging was estimated to affect 11 million cars worldwide.
"On September 25, the California Air Resources Board [ARB] sent letters to all manufacturers letting them know we would be screening vehicles for potential defeat devices," said Richard Corey, ARB's executive officer. "Since then ARB, EPA and Environment Canada have continued test programs on additional diesel-powered passenger cars and SUVs. These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues."
"This is a very serious public health matter," Corey said. "ARB and EPA will continue to conduct a rigorous investigation that includes testing more vehicles until all of the facts are out in the open."
According to a study published last week in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the excess emissions from the rigging will cause 59 early deaths in the U.S.
The latest development bodes poorly for VW's new executive officer, Matthias Muller, who ran Porsche before taking over VW in September after then-CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down. He vowed last week to be "ruthless" in punishing those involved in the emissions rigging and added, "We are leaving no stone unturned to find out what exactly happened and to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.