Ford Fesses Up on Emissions

Ford Motor Co. revealed its emission testing could be flawed and took pains to soothe anxiety among investors in an industry wracked by years of pollution scandals.

Ford said workers raised concerns about its testing in September, and it’s since hired an outside firm to help conduct an investigation that could stretch into the summer. Along with the unidentified firm and regulators, the company will look into how it’s used road-load specifications to simulate how aerodynamic drag and tire friction can affect fuel economy outside testing labs. read more »

Germany fines BMW 8.5m euros over diesel emissions

German prosecutors said Monday they had fined high-end carmaker BMW 8.5 million euros (R118m) over diesel cars with higher harmful emissions than allowed

Authorities had been probing BMW since early 2018 over suspicions it could have built a so-called “defeat device” into some diesel cars.

Such technologies allow the vehicle to reduce emissions under test conditions, while emitting far higher levels of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) on the road.

In Germany, Volkswagen has paid one billion euros in fines over defeat devices following its 2015 admission that it installed them in 11 million cars worldwide, while high-end subsidiary Audi has paid 800 million euros. read more »

VW Dieselgate woes continue after German court decision

The Volkswagen Group has been dealt a setback in its efforts to put a close to the diesel emission manipulation scandal following a decision by Germany’s top court that may force it to compensate thousands of European customers.

In a surprise ruling handed down on Friday, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice rebuked Volkswagen Group arguments that the cheat software it fitted to various diesel models was legal under European Union law, and therefore resolved it of any responsibility to compensate customers.

The court, acting on a case originally set to be heard on February 27, 2019, but since withdrawn at the behest of the plaintiff, brought down its decision, classifying the cheat software as a “material defect”.

In a statement, the court said the Volkswagen Group was obliged to provide customers with a car free from defects.

The decision is thought to open legal avenues to customers seeking to claim compensation on the basis that the car they were sold was not representative of that advertised. In certain cases, it may even force the Volkswagen Group to provide customers with a brand new car, even if the car in question has been superseded by a new model. read more »