Volkswagen has set a deadline of Nov. 30 for whistleblowers to offer up any information they may have without corporate reprisals.
Volkswagen AG set the end of the month as the deadline for whistleblowers to come forth with any information they may have about the cheating on diesel emissions tests.
According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the deadline is designed to coax potential employees with that knowledge to come forth quickly with the promise that doing so won’t spell the end of their careers with the automaker.
VW hired two U.S. companies – Deloitte, an advisory firm, and Jones Day, a high profile law firm – to help investigate how the problem happened. Several engineers installed software on three generations of diesel engines to change the emissions outputs when a vehicle was in test mode. When it was not, it would improve the performance parameters of the powerplants: at the expense of emissions.
The amnesty program not only exempts the informants from reprisals, it also shields them from any damage claims levied on the company and, potentially, high-ranking executives. A caveat: the offer only applies to workers covered by collectively bargain contracts.
VW said it may transfer employees who incriminate themselves with the information they provide to investigators. Additionally, the automaker said it holds no sway over any decisions that may be made by German authorities seeking to pursue criminal charges against employees involved in the plan.
(VW, Porsche and Audi order stop-sale of suspect diesels. Click Here for the story.)
Volkswagen admitted to installing the software on up to 11 million diesel-powered vehicles with 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter engines worldwide.
A check by the Environmental Protection Agency of VW’s other brands, specifically Audi and Porsche, found defeat devices some of the 3.0-liter engines used for those companies.
(More VW execs head for the exits as emissions cheating scandal grows. Click Here for the latest.)
And while the German maker plans to begin installing a fix as early as January, repairs could take significantly longer in the U.S. because VW has not come up with a solution accepted by the EPA.
“We are working tirelessly to develop an approved remedy for affected vehicles,” said Volkswagen Group of America CEO Michael Horn. “In the meantime we are providing this goodwill package as a first step towards regaining our customers’ trust.”
(VW engineers admit to cheating. Click Here for that story.)
A report in Germany’s Bild am Sonnstag newspaper, meanwhile, indicated that several VW engineers have acknowledged cheating on emissions test. The newspaper said that an internal investigation has found that they acted under a corporate culture of fear that would not tolerate them failing to meet aggressive emissions targets set by former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned shortly after the scandal broke.
VW management’s reponse to each new episode in this scandal keeps bringing to mind that great German word “cloudcuckooland”. But even Lewis Carroll would have come up short on suspension of disbelief for this one.
When you cut through all of the hype and politics, VW has handled this unfortunate Diesel emissions issue about as good as anyone could. They have hired two independent teams of investigators and VW is conducting their own internal investigation. This emissions issue is certainly not the big deal that the media makes it out to be. Many in the media like to profit from sensationalizing these stories as many will of the ISIS / Paris tragedy… which is far more serious than some excess exhaust emissions.
When VW management was confronted with the four cyl. diesel software issues showing a “defeat device” and emissions control duty cycles too low to meet the emissions requirements – they publicly acknowledged the actions of a rogue group of engineers and programmers. They stopped sales of new vehicles with Diesel engines in the U.S. including the 3.0L V6 diesel that the EPA alleged has a “defeat device”. VW management has not stopped their investigations since the original news broke in an effort to identify any and all possible reporting issues. VW has allowed government officials to check their records regarding recalls, etc.
When the EPA falsely claimed the VW 3.0L V6 diesel has a “defeat device” (it doesn’t), VW met with the EPA to explain to them how the 3.0L V6 diesel emissions system functions. There is no defeat device just as VW originally advised the EPA. No other agency has alleged any improper software or a defeat device in the 3.0L V6 diesel engines. After an extensive investigation the German motor authority cleared VW’s 3.0L V6 diesel of having any improper software or other emissions issues.
The EPA website states that a “defeat device” is any device that alters the engines operation in a emissions lab test vs. the way the engine functions in normal driving. The 3.0L V6 VW diesel functions 100% the same on the street and in the test lab when an emissions test is conducted. In addition at no time has the VW 3.0L V6 diesel engine failed to meet all emissions regulations. The EPA doesn’t accuse VW of any emissions violations on the 3.0L V6 diesel engine. The EPA however is guilty of gross negligence and in deep trouble for claiming a std. industry CAT cleaning cycle on the VW 3.0L V6 diesel engine constitutes a “defeat device” when it clearly does not according to the EPA’s very own website definition of a “defeat device”.
When VW discovered irregularities in 800,000 other vehicles out of tens of millions produced… they announced this to the public even though it may never had been discovered because it is a small numerical error in the mpg rating on some Euro model engines.
In the U.S. VW has offered $500 in cash via a cash card and an additional $500 in credit for use at any VW dealership for service, parts, etc. This is prior to the minor software update required to repair the majority of VW diesel engines so that they are fully EPA emissions compliant. VW is repairing all non-compliant cars world wide at no charge and as fast as is practical.
At this point it appears to me VW is making every practical effort to clean house and fix any and all issues as quickly as possible. This is just the beginning of a long process to resolve all issues caused by the thoughtless acts of a small group of people who made bad choices and cost VW and other people billions in losses in addition to a major hit to VW’s good reputation.
The EPA is going to feel the heat of class action lawsuits when they are forced to admit they were negligent and completely wrong in claiming the VW 3.0L V6 diesel engines used by VW/Audi/Porsche has a “defeat device”.
Paul-
There is an important technical error in this story that needs to be corrected. The quote at the bottom is 100% incorrect. No “defeat device” has ever been found by anyone in the VW 3.0L V6 diesel engines. In fact the German motor authority KBA did an extensive investigation into the VW 3.0L V6 engine (they are investigating ALL VW engines both gas and diesel), and found no “defeat device” and no illegal software code and no violations of exhaust emissions – just as VW advised the EPA after VW investigated the 3.0L V6 diesel engines once the four cylinder EA 189 engine illegal software code was discovered. The KBA’s VW 3.0L V6 diesel engine results were publicly reported by VW earlier this week via Reuters news.
To be clear the EPA has alleged that VW’s use of a CAT cleaning cycle on cold engine start-ups constitutes a “defeat device” when in fact it is not a “defeat device” and never has been. It is a legal CAT cleaning cycle used by many engine makers and is fully EPA compliant for obvious reasons because it lowers exhaust emissions.
What VW chose to do was to run the CAT cleaning cycle during cold engine start-ups when emissions are the highest and emissions regs allow the highest exhaust emissions levels. By VW using good engineering and running the auxiliary hot CAT cleaning cycle on each cold start-up they reduce emissions significantly lower than required by law and lower than other diesel engines produce. The EPA being so incompetent failed to recognize a standard industry CAT cleaning cycle and concluded it was a “defeat device” which it is not and it has been proven it is not. Now the EPA looks like the fools that they truly are…
By virtue of VW lowering exhaust emissions below the regulations the technically illiterate fools at the EPA are trying to persecute VW even when the 3.0L V6 diesel engines fully comply with all exhaust emissions requirements without even running the CAT cleaning cycle. That’s correct with or without the CAT cleaning cycle the VW 3.0L V6 diesel engines meet all EPA and other emissions regulations world wide.
If anything VW should be applauded for lowering exhaust emissions even further than required. The EPA illustrates how clueless bureaucrats can be. There is going to be a very high price to pay for the EPA as they have cost VW, VW/Audi/Porsche new car dealers, VW/Audi/Porsche owners as well as investors billions in damages from these false allegations of a “defeat device” on the 3.0L V6 diesel engines, which simply does not exist.
In the interest of accurate and fair reporting I’d suggest removing the false statement below from the above story and adding the German KBA 3.0L V6 VW diesel investigation results reported earlier this week by VW/Reuters news.
Quote:
“A check by the Environmental Protection Agency of VW’s other brands, specifically Audi and Porsche, found defeat devices some of the 3.0-liter engines used for those companies.”