even cars with SCR are suspect, since CARB found one model which would reduce DEF dosing after the first test cycle. Thus why EPA won’t issue a Certificate of Conformity for MY16 cars.

it’s because CARB found that the SCR-equipped cars were reducing DEF dosing after the test cycle, causing NOx to rise and go out of compliance. So EPA is saying “We think all of your data is bullshit and we’re not letting you import any more diesel cars until we’re satisfied you’ve got your shit in order.”

This sucks. My 2010 TDI Sportwagen has been a stellar car (90k miles). Fun to drive, super build quality, good cargo space, averaging 40 MPG combined. Poor form, VW. Poor form indeed.

Superb write-up. As they tell you in corporate media-relations training, “Don’t screw up on a slow news day.” VW managed to do worse — they screwed up on a day when people are still massively pissed that no witch has as of yet been found at GM, so a VW witch will suffice in the meantime.

How about some executive jail time?

It does. I clarified to add that. Thanks!

But VW and Audi said their 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine was able to meet the requirements without a urea injection system — although many people have wondered exactly how.

Great overview of the whole issue. I was wondering how they found the software cheat, but it was the threat of kneecapping that got them to talk.

Seems to me they already have the solution: Make the cars permanently enter that emissions test mode. I’m sure it’s a reduction in power, but that will likely be the only effect, aside from maybe more crud that needs periodic cleaning due to cooler burn temps.

Doesn’t the Mk.7 Golf TDI have urea injection? I thought that was the reason why it has the twist-beam rear suspension instead of the independent setup in the TSI cars.

Yeah, the predictable ‘Clean Diesel is Dead’ crowd is out there. Not going to happen though. The physics of the Diesel Cycle, and the energy density of diesel fuel, make it certain that it will be part of the mix for energy storage for transportation, now and going forward. That’s not going to change. Especially with…

Let me start this off by saying I am a huge supporter of cleaning up emissions in general, though not at all costs, but it really shows how fucked up our priorities as a nation are if you get a bigger fine for lying to the feds than for killing people. Again, it is ridiculous that VW did this and it was a terrible…

Untruth in Engineering