Volkswagen Dieselgate Emissions Scandal – 3.0 Litre V6 Diesel Targeted

If regulators conclude that the devices’ primary goal is to evade emissions tests, they’re considered a defeat device in violation of the law.

Audi has announced a fix to correct the software in some 85,000 vehicles, some of which were initially named in a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued by the EPA at the beginning of the month, Automotive News Europe reports.

The affected engine is used in various Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche models including the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7; Volkswagen Toaureg and Porsche Cayenne.

Under European emissions tests there is no provisions, as far as we can work out, for a “real world” NOx emissions level, so the only thing that matters is what a auto emits during testing, even if that in no way represents its real emissions and is achieved artificially.

Audi officials were quoted as saying that the automaker did not inform the EPA about the additional emissions-editing devices, and that the extra equipment can indeed be filed under the defeat device category. Until now it was just the four-cylinder turbodiesels that were under the scanner.

Audi admitted that so-called defeat devices are present in the USA versions of its V6 TDI 3-liter diesel powertrains and promised to update software to bring the engines into compliance.

Also Friday, VW said it will cut its spending by 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) next year and “strictly prioritize” investments as it shores up its finances to deal with its emissions-rigging scandal.

The EPA on Friday said the probe now involves all Volkswagen and Audi models with a larger 3-liter diesel engine from model years 2009 through 2016. Audi describes that device as “the software for the temperature conditioning of the exhaust-gas cleaning system”. Defeat devices are, in reality, software; VW had pledged to recalibrate this software and resubmit it for federal approval. The three brands Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen are affected.

The EPA is a reviewing an initial proposal for fixing the 2.0-litre diesel vehicle. The company is cooperating with the agencies and wants to continue to have productive conversations with them, she said.