European Union regulator says ‘zero tolerance’ on vehicle emissions fraud

But it’s not just emission figures that are at fault.

Official test figures are only as good as the tests themselves.

Many researchers acknowledge there is widespread “gaming” of the system.

Volkswagen has said 11 million of its diesel cars around the world could be implicated after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed VW had been using software to mask pollutants.

Looking to the past, do you think Parliament should have been a bit tougher?

He wrote: “The United Kingdom is committed to delivering cleaner air for our citizens and a key element of this is setting the correct standards for new cars at European Union level”.

The new procedure was voted on in May 2015 by the Technical Committee for Motor Vehicles.

The company has told officials that the vehicles in question included VW cars with 1.6-liter and 2-liter diesel engines in Europe, German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Thursday.

It isn’t yet clear to what extent the scandal affects other brands in the Volkswagen Group, which has 12 brands in all – including Seat, Audi, Skoda and Porsche. The VW Golf is the second-worst offender of this selection, behind the Peugeot 308 which is 17% away from its MPG claim.

The test cycle only includes urban (in town) and extra urban (out of town) driving, but while it reaches a top speed of 75mph for 10 seconds, it doesn’t include any sustained motorway driving.

Many modern cars have adaptable driving modes to make them more economical or sportier.

We don’t yet know how many of those cars are on our roads but – great though the scandal may be – it is only part of a much bigger problem. There are also “supplemental tests”, including running a auto with air conditioning on.

She says carmakers might remove windscreen wipers, wing mirrors, and spare wheels, and even tape up doors to reduce drag.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association is not impressed. “I was struck by the lack of independent testing”. “Unless we take action, thousands of lives will continue to be tragically cut short by air pollution”.

“The issue described by the press does not apply to Mercedes-Benz Cars”. If the Commission proposes an existing body for this objective, it is fine with us.

I own one of these cars!

Dobrindt this week set up a commission of inquiry to look into the scandal. Arrangements will then be made concerning a fix, likely to be undertaken at a dealer convenient for you. “The industry calls them “golden vehicles”.

How did this alleged cheat work exactly?

“This should be followed up with in-use compliance testing, whereby a sample of vehicles already in use are tested to check they still comply with the emissions limits”.

The Commission called on the the bloc’s 28 member governments to investigate how many cars have been fitted with defeat devices, signaling concern other cars maker also may have tried to manipulate testing results.

The commission said it recognised that the current system of measure emissions for light duty vehicles on a laboratory test cycle does not reflect the emissions of vehicles in normal driving conditions.