At Volkswagen, damage control is in full swing after it was revealed the automaker had, for seven years, equipped its vehicles with software capable of fooling emission tests.
VW's deception scheme unraveled when the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation, which keeps watch on the environment in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change, commissioned West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines and Emissions to undertake a study to convince skeptical Europeans that auto emissions tests were accurate and legitimate. But testing ultimately revealed Volkswagens were fouling the air up to 35 times pollution allowed by the Clean Air Act, which in turn caught the attention of the EPA.
Now, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn has been forced to resign. Long-term fallout is unclear.
Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, say not only did the company deliberately deceive consumers, but Volkswagen consciously poisoned the air with gases that cause respiratory illness and exacerbate climate change.
Scott Pearse, Vice President of the Volkswagen Club of Central New York, believes the brand isn't necessarily tarnished by the diesel scandal. "This is pretty normal today and the way people are today and the way companies are today. Everybody's trying to, you know, cheat the system in any way they can. These guys got caught at it, and obviously they admitted to it. And I'm not saying its right, 'cause it's not. But it seems to be indicative of the way that society is in general now."
Tyson Slocum is director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program and has been covering scandals in corporate energy and financial sectors, including the Enron debacle, for more than 15 years. "I have never seen a manufacturer build into their product a computer program designed to lie and deceive. This had to have entailed approval at the highest level of the company at multiple stages of the process. Because this computer program was embedded in the cornerstone of their entire emissions system in these diesel vehicles. This is unprecedented. And what it told us, is that corporations still cannot be trusted to tell the truth, and that's why we need strong regulators. And if it wasn't for the Environmental Protection Agency, Volkswagen would continue lying to its own customers."
Again, Scott Pearse. "I know that these cars let a lot of, they let more emissions out than is probably permissible. But you're talking about a diesel vehicle that gets very good fuel economy, normally, and in comparison to a lot of the other vehicles on the road, you know they're probably not putting out the amount of missions for the amount of miles they travel, so I'm not so sure if I necessarily agree with the standards that are put forth today as far as emissions go."
The German group has set aside $7.3 billion to help cover the costs of the crisis and said that 11 million of its cars could be affected worldwide.
As NPR reported Tuesday, the EPA lists the cars that contain software that circumvents EPA emissions standards for certain air pollutants," below:
- Jetta (model year 2009-2015)
- Jetta Sportwagen (2009-2014)
- Beetle (2013-2015)
- Beetle Convertible (2013-2015)
- Audi A3 (2010-2015)
- Golf (2010-2015)
- Golf Sportwagen (2015)
- Passat (2012-2015)
Test Results
Analyzes results of emissions tests on 32 Euro 6 diesel passenger cars from 10 different manufacturers. Results show some automakers meeting diesel NOx emissions standards under more realistic driving conditions, while others lag badly. Download (pdf, 77.26KB)
Statement by Prof. Dr. Winterkorn
"“I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group.
As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrong doing on my part.
Volkswagen needs a fresh start – also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation.
I have always been driven by my desire to serve this company, especially our customers and employees. Volkswagen has been, is and will always be my life.
The process of clarification and transparency must continue. This is the only way to win back trust. I am convinced that the Volkswagen Group and its team will overcome this grave crisis."
Copyright 2015 WAMC Northeast Public Radio
