Four days ago, GM was fined $900 million for a known defect that killed over 100 people. If the VW fine exceeds that, something is clearly out-of-line with corporate prosecutions in the US.
Edit: Easy guys, in Canada there is no known impact yet as it is being investigated. I forgot I was on the internet where everyone keeps their pitchforks in their back pocket. http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/volkswagen-emissions-rigging...
We do ACTUAL emissions tests in Canada (Ontario at least) - it sounds like USA is different in how it works (probably differs by state?), but we have machines to actually grade pollution. The 2009 model VWs will be emissiosn tested this year as they are 7 years old, so why this hasn't been news yet in Canada is very interesting, which is why I say I'm waiting to hear how all of these cars fair in upcoming tests. http://www.ontario.ca/page/drive-clean
Edit 2: I'm wrong, we don't do tailpipe emissions test on cars newer than 1998! So the defeat device is the exact reason why I hadn't heard about any vehicles actually failing emissions testing here.
The estimate is, CO emissions are reduce 40X to pass the test. Meaning, the cars are 40 times too dirty to be on our roads.
I think you misunderstand both the testing and the defeat device. We do tailpipe testing here in the US, and the defeat device results in far cleaner tailpipe emissions during said tests. It's not just an OBD data-hiding thing, it actually changes the emissions.
edit - clarification, we may not do tailpipe tests on diesels here, didn't occur to me that gas tests would be different than diesel.
NOx, not CO. And it's up to, not always.
> Meaning, the cars are 40 times too dirty to be on our roads.
No, it means the cars are up to 40 times too dirty in this one respect to be on our roads.
I will address one thing, though:
> Anything over the mandated limit is a health risk, and equivocating over how much is like asking whether you'd want 3 years, or 10 years shaved off your life expectancy.
That is not equivocating. Also, pollution exists on a continuous scale. Saying everything over the limit is equivalently "bad" and everything under the limit is equivalently "good" is ignoring that. There is a big difference in effect between, say, twice the limit and 40 times the limit.
"Then German received the results of the real-world tests. “We were astounded when we saw the numbers,” he said. On the open road, the Jetta exceeded the U.S. nitrogen oxide emissions standard by 15 to 35 times. The Passat was 5 to 20 times the standard." - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-19/volkswagen...
"As described in the NOV, a sophisticated software algorithm on certain Volkswagen vehicles detects when the car is undergoing official emissions testing, and turns full emissions controls on only during the test. The effectiveness of these vehicles’ pollution emissions control devices is greatly reduced during all normal driving situations. This results in cars that meet emissions standards in the laboratory or testing station, but during normal operation, emit nitrogen oxides, or NOx, at up to 40 times the standard. The software produced by Volkswagen is a “defeat device,” as defined by the Clean Air Act." - http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/21b8983ffa5d0e46852...
that being said, having owned both a 2010 TDI Golf and 2013 TDI Beetle that I enjoyed for the duration and returned very good mileage numbers I still want VW to be fined a substantial amount and forced to keep a stop sale until they can prove the code is no longer in a car waiting delivery to a dealer.
> The maximum Clean Air Act violation is $37,500 per vehicle, meaning Volkswagen's fine could technically be as high as $18 billion.
But my point was that, for environmentalists, harm to 'the environment' actually outweighs measurable harm to humans. Hence activities that provably killed a bunch of people are likely to merit a less stringent penalty that those likely in this case.
"(transitive) To supersede.
In this election, it would seem issues of national security trumped economic issues."
VW may be liable for civil penalties and injunctive relief for the violations alleged in the NOV."
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/21b8983ffa5d0e46852...
More about health effects of NO2 exposure: http://www3.epa.gov/airquality/nitrogenoxides/health.html
I was thinking to myself, I would avoid the recall but then I think there is fine print that states the OEM must be able to service your vehicle to maintain said warranty.
Interesting pickle. How stupid VW is.
Uh. In any place with emissions tests I presume these things will instantly fail without the upgrade, so you won't be able to preserve your registration without it.
FWIW, my county doesn't do emissions tests on diesels.
I can't imagine a test centre knowingly passing a car which has been shown to cheat on tests.
The Golf VII 1.6 TDI can easily achieve 55 MPG for combined. The 2.0 TDI, obviously worse, around 47-52 MPG.
These are obviously UK/Euro models. I'm not sure if/how they differ from any other markets.
And it turns out, amazingly often, that the EU discovers that what's in Germany's interest is in its interest too!
We could end up with the EU crying foul and threatening retaliation against American companies here.
From http://www.dailydot.com/politics/tpp-leaked-investment-chapt...
> Corporations may be granted through “Investor-State Dispute Settlement” (ISDS) tribunals the authority to demand taxpayer compensation for domestic energy, health, environment, land use, and other policies. With the exception of Australia, all of the countries involved in the TPP talks have agreed to submit to the jurisdiction of ISDS tribunals.
*edited to format the quote. Giving up.