Is BMW about to join VW diesel scandal?

BMW said that there’s no system in its cars that responds to tests differently than it would operate on the road.

BMW has issued an official response, stating it did not “manipulate or rig any emissions tests” and claimed it was not familiar with the test mentioned by Auto Bild magazine.

BMW said its vehicles did not have functions to recognize the emissions cycles and that it followed all local testing requirements.

It has been almost a week since the Environmental Protection Agency accused Volkswagen of using a “defeat device” to cheat on emissions tests.

While there was no indication that BMW had cheated in pollution tests – suggestions it hotly denied – the report nevertheless shook investors.

Peter Mock of ICCT told the magazine: “All data suggests that this issue is not confined to VW”.

Autobild published an article claiming that the AWD version of the X3 was producing 11 times the European emissions limit when it was road-tested by the worldwide Council on Clean Transportation. “We are contacting the ICCT and asking for clarification of the test they carried out”, said, amongst others, the release.

The resignation appeared initially to turn the tide for Volkswagen on the market, with its shares shooting up 7.9% to hit an intraday high of 120.30 euros in the morning in Frankfurt, although they later showed gains of just 1.8% by mid-afternoon.

Volkswagen was recently caught cheating with its emission systems installed in most of its TDI 2.0 diesel engine vehicles.

German media are now reporting that two top development executives at Volkswagen units – one at Audi and another at Porsche – will also leave the auto giant, due to their earlier roles at Volkswagen’s central division.

While BMW has yet to be officially accused of any wrongdoing, the news certainly does not bode well for the company and the greater auto industry in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal. VW’s supervisory board will discuss the CEO’s replacement at its meeting on Friday.

“The progress achieved so far in Carbon dioxide reduction in Europe is largely due to the use of diesel technology”, BMW said.

Because diesel engines can get better fuel economy than their gasoline equivalents – and because other technological advancements have made the latest diesel-powered cars quiet and fun to drive – they have become popular choices in a few parts of the world, particularly with customers concerned about the environment.