VW scandal authorities take further software targeted – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The US authorities consider in the exhaust gas scandal at Volkswagen another software to control emissions. The computer program come in use since 2009 diesel engines are used, which are also equipped with the so-called Defeat Device for manipulating measurements at emission tests, the financial agency Bloomberg reported, citing an insider.

The reference to new studies, which go beyond the use of the previously known cheat software, VW US CEO Michael Horn had given on Thursday itself. At a hearing before the US Congress he informed the deputies that VW had withdrawn the application for the approval of diesel cars of model year 2016 consider because the US Environmental Protection Agency an installed in the vehicles aids (“Auxiliary Emission Control Device”) must.

So far, however, it is unclear whether this is a legitimate means of emission control, or to further manipulation software. “We are working with the authorities to continue the certification process,” Horn said. A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency said Bloomberg, VW had been delivered only preliminary information on the recently identified device whose purpose will now be examined.

The California Environmental Protection Agency Carb, Volkswagen, meanwhile, issued an ultimatum. VW had to submit by 20 November time a plan for the affected diesel vehicles can be retrofitted, said carb director Mary Nichols said “editorial Network Germany”. They also announced further test results to diesel cars from other manufacturers. “We will present the results in the next few months.”

A VW spokeswoman gave no details on demand. Among the possible consequences of the delayed approval process, it was simply that had been shipped from the Model 2016 to authorized dealers no affected cars. How many vehicles relates to the reclusive application for certification and the costs associated therewith for VW, remained unclear. In recent years were about 20 percent of units sold in the US VW cars Diesel.

California threatened with closure

Carb considering obviously necessary to draw VW vehicles off the road: “If there is no technical solution that threaten the decommissioning the cars and Civil disputes with the customers. ” Volkswagen had requested and announced its intention to start the recall of around 480,000 vehicles affected in the United States until January only a few days for your patience.

An EPA representative had said at the hearing in Congress, we expect in the coming week with first preliminary possible solutions. VW chief US Horn dampened but the hope for a speedy overcoming. It will probably take at least one to two years to solve the problems properly.

First, it comes to the US regulators to submit an acceptable proposal, as the special software can be modified to manipulate the exhaust readings. The “Defeat Device” determines whether the cars are in an emission test. Only then the exhaust-cleaning is activated in the normal mode, the air pollution is higher by a multiple.

The authority in California has director Nichols According to their recorded no contact with the German government during the tests, the hardened the suspicion against VW. However, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) have complained to a visiting California in 2010 compared to Nichols and ex-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the strict limits for diesel vehicles, said the authorities boss. In the US, the limit value for nitrogen oxides is significantly lower than in the EU

In the video:. Michael Horn, US head of VW, apologized