Photo: Volkswagen
The media is reporting on pretty much anything that sounds scandalous, so the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal is veiled with half-truths. One of the first statements made by the German automaker has clearly said the latest EA288 diesel engines don't come with the controversial software that cheats emission tests.
But because various reports contradicting these statements emerged, engineers had to conduct a thorough investigation, the findings of which were released today.
“Volkswagen confirms today that no software constituting an improper defeat device as defined in law is installed in vehicles with EA 288 EU5 as well as EU6-engines in the European Union. Consequently, new vehicles of the Volkswagen Group offered within the European Union with those engines comply with legal requirements and environmental standards,” the automaker said.
We've learned never to take things at face value, so we'd like to highlight the fact that things still aren't 100% clear. We've been led to believe 2015 model year Jettas and Golfs sold in America came with the EA288 2-liter engine as well. So why did Consumer Reports find that fuel economy dropped when they activated what they believed was the defeat device?
For now, let's just image it was a fluke, as the difference between 50 mpg and 46 mpg is not that substantial.
If the EA288 engines don't have a defeat device, it means that they won't have to be recalled, and owners of these more modern cars can relax. However, it still doesn't mean that the 2.0 TDI clean diesel on 2015/2016 Volkswagen models complies with the EPA's standards. Diesel engines, in general, appear to be problematic, as various reports have suggested other manufacturers are also many times above the legal limit.
As for older diesel engines, Volkswagen has recently issued a stop-sale order on cars equipped with the EA189 engines that are currently sitting on dealer lots. These are among the 8.5 million vehicles that will have to be recalled in Europe alone.
While the larger 2-liter engines from the EA189 can apparently be fixed using software updates, the smaller 1.2 and 1.6 TDI could take until late 2016 to be repaired.
“Volkswagen confirms today that no software constituting an improper defeat device as defined in law is installed in vehicles with EA 288 EU5 as well as EU6-engines in the European Union. Consequently, new vehicles of the Volkswagen Group offered within the European Union with those engines comply with legal requirements and environmental standards,” the automaker said.
We've learned never to take things at face value, so we'd like to highlight the fact that things still aren't 100% clear. We've been led to believe 2015 model year Jettas and Golfs sold in America came with the EA288 2-liter engine as well. So why did Consumer Reports find that fuel economy dropped when they activated what they believed was the defeat device?
For now, let's just image it was a fluke, as the difference between 50 mpg and 46 mpg is not that substantial.
If the EA288 engines don't have a defeat device, it means that they won't have to be recalled, and owners of these more modern cars can relax. However, it still doesn't mean that the 2.0 TDI clean diesel on 2015/2016 Volkswagen models complies with the EPA's standards. Diesel engines, in general, appear to be problematic, as various reports have suggested other manufacturers are also many times above the legal limit.
As for older diesel engines, Volkswagen has recently issued a stop-sale order on cars equipped with the EA189 engines that are currently sitting on dealer lots. These are among the 8.5 million vehicles that will have to be recalled in Europe alone.
While the larger 2-liter engines from the EA189 can apparently be fixed using software updates, the smaller 1.2 and 1.6 TDI could take until late 2016 to be repaired.
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