Tuesday 3 November 2015

Volkswagen DieselGate Fallout: VW Emissions Scandal - US Regulators Find More Cars With Cheat Tests.



    


  There is no surprise here, unfortunately. I guess, that nobody can really comply with emissions standards under the real test drive conditions. As we have discussed before:



  Electric Cars have reached The Point Of No Return. How many people will we save before The Silicon Valley economics will make all cars electric is up to all of us now. We need cheaper and better electric cars, we need mass market for EVs. We need volume. Where the lithium will be coming from to make it possible? Joe Lowry has his insider knowledge about it. We are just making it happen at International Lithium with our strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium $1.7 Billion market cap giant from China. 
  The future is electric and if you would like to know more this weekend, you can find links below and Joe will be your guide in his  "Opaque Kingdom of Lithium".  Joe Lowry estimates 88% increase in lithium demand in 5 years and "The Industry is approaching a full blown shortage situation" - according to him.  Stay tuned as I will cut out a few tracks this weekend and maybe even some serious staff will be on our AC/DC digital waves soon. Read more."


DieselGate And Corruption: EU Governments Double And Delay Air Pollution Limits For Diesel Cars.


    

Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General


"Exhaust from diesel engines contributes to air pollution and is a cancer hazard to humans," said DrKurt StraifForbes.




  
  EU governments have demonstrated today one more time that corruption is without borders and party limits. It is the very bad decision and totally diminish our politicians, who has lost today any credibility, to the status of corporate puppets on payroll. The only good news is that this act of treason on part of politicians against the public health just demonstrates that ICE technology just can't deliver any more, it has reached its limitations. Fossils are not only among fuels. Now you all will be sold even more polluting rubbish and our streets will be even more dangerous filled with cancer hazard toxic emissions. Your hard earned money will go to support those dirty politicians killing your kids. Just stop buying it and spread the word. Donate your RT.



Volkswagen, DieselGate And Now AutoGate: Car Emissions Testing - "The Whole System Is Corrupt"


"London smog: 'We spend billions per year on tests in a lab. Useless … We want to clean up the environment, not the labs' (Photo: stu mayhem)" - euobserver.


  No surprises, here for me unfortunately. Peter Teffer reports straight from the heart of "EU Capital" in Brussels:


"Volkswagen is not the only car company that used illegal devices to cheat emissions tests, said Axel Friedrich, a German emissions testing expert who is a co-founder of the NGO that notified US authorities something was wrong with VW's test results.
"You will see tomorrow night on German television the next case", Friedrich said on Wednesday (21 October) in the European Parliament.
"It's not only diesel, it's also gasoline. The whole system is corrupt", he added."



WHO: DieselGate Is A Cancer Problem - Auto Industry Calls "Not To Jeopardise Diesel As One Of Its Key Pillars."






  Dear Mr Erik Jonnaert, Secretary General of UN, sorry … of ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers' Association), please be careful, couple of NRs like this one and those "pillars" can hit you on the head very hard! "Clean Diesel" Dream is dead, unfortunately with thousands of people killed by it. It is time to move on, not just to pretend that autos are changing, but embrace that change for real. I love all those articles now how Volkswagen moves so fast into electric cars space. I would like to believe it, but why are they signing this NR asking for delay in emissions standards implementation and lobbying in EU for The Toxic Emissions Limits to be INCREASED? On behalf of all what is left of the brain-healthy population, I tell you that we will not buy all that killing us last century oil thirsty rubbish any more. My dear girls and boys, please, do not let me down here and stay for a bit to find out why I am breaking into this smoking party here.
  I can understand Auto-makers very well: they have invested Billions in the "Clean Diesel" scam and related technology. Can you imaging for them to admit now that all those plants, equipment, all that already produced cancer hazard spitting rubbish is a total waste? They do not care about you or your kids for real: just read the News Release from ACEA below. But shareholders are the different story: they will tear them apart. This is where the real worry comes and this is where is your power. All that rubbish has to be sold to somebody. I do hope that not to you any more. Just do this one thing: do not buy it -  the rest we will do for you and your kids, there is the solution.
  Mass media is very slow to react to this scandal, but how could they? Auto sector must be one of the largest advertisers for the mass media. There are reports that the first thing Volkswagen did was, no not EV announcements there ones came later, but their Ad Agency has threatened to pull out all advertisement from the papers reporting on Volkswagen scandal. Advertisement is going on-line now where "They" are censoring you once you start talking about the real things.  By the way, I cannot really read that article on the link above on Forbes, I found it in another place and the WHO report is below for your kind attention. 
  So girls and boys it is all up to us. Will you allow "Them"  just to take over your iPhoneor Twitter account or can they mess up with all your life? That report from WHO "Diesel Engine Exhaust Carcinogenic" is … from 2012! All we have to do now is just not to allow this BS happen around us any more, technology is here to help us. Educate yourself and help to educate others. Donate your RT, do not suffer in silence. Everybody who is still talking about more pollution coming from Electric Cars, please, do not bother - enjoy the fumes, apparently brain damage from the air pollution is the very serious issue as well now.


International Agency for Research on Cancer

World Health Organisation.




   

DieselGate: Auto Industry Calls For More Time To Properly Poison Our Kids With Increased Deadly Emissions.







  After all sorry, apologies and our dreams about Good Uncles all come together and push for clean air for all of us we have the answer from European Automobile Manufacturers' Association to all my questions yesterday. It begins, European Auto Industry is lobbying not for electric cars, but for more time to poison us all properly with increased levels of toxic emissions. Have you heard about ENRON? Yes, these guys are even smarter: they are auditing their emissions themselves and paying money to EU in order not to have a proper limits on toxic emissions which are carcinogenic and your kids are breathing it. Can somebody tell ACEA about Electric Cars, please? Will we blow our chance to push them to come Clean again?

“We are fully aligned with the need to better measure the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel cars and vans under normal driving conditions,” stated Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General. “However, it is important to proceed in a way which allows manufacturers to plan and implement the necessary changes, without jeopardising the role of diesel as one of the key pillars for fulfilling future CO2 targets.”
Translation: "Nobody In Auto Industry Can Meet The Toxic Emissions Standards Even After We Have Spent Millions To Lobby All Possible Politicians  In Order Not To Make It."



ACEA represents the 15 Europe-based car, van, truck and bus manufacturers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ford of Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, IVECO, Jaguar Land Rover, Opel Group, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group.


  Few links for Mr Erik Jonnaert and other Good Uncles in the boardrooms. RT, please, maybe they do not know it, maybe some of them can still read and will think about their own grandchildren. 



The Statistics About Diesel Are Crystal Clear. It’s Deadly … Automakers Asking About 70% Emissions Increase.


  





BBC On DieselGate: Air Pollution Second Only To Active Smoking - The 'Invisible Killer' Of The Air On Our Streets.








DieselGate: They ALL Are Here - Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes, BMW, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi Break Emissions Limits.






ACEA:

AUTO INDUSTRY CALLS FOR A BALANCED REAL DRIVING EMISSIONS PROPOSAL


Brussels, 12 October 2015 - Following the 6 October meeting of the European Commission’s regulatory committee (TCMV) with the member states, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) understands that the European Commission has come forward with a proposal for some of the essential elements needed for legislation on real driving emissions (RDE). The automobile industry agrees with the need for emissions to more closely reflect real-world conditions, and has been calling for proposals for years.
ACEA supports a robust but realistic RDE package that will address the key environmental issues under a two-step approach, as already agreed by the member states. ACEA fully understands the need for Step 1 of RDE to commence from September 2017 for new vehicle types, and has always been committed to this.
ACEA continues to stress the need for a timeline and testing conditions that take into account the technical and economic realities of today's markets, allowing for reasonable transition time to apply RDE to all new vehicles. “We are fully aligned with the need to better measure the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from diesel cars and vans under normal driving conditions,” stated Erik Jonnaert, ACEA Secretary General. “However, it is important to proceed in a way which allows manufacturers to plan and implement the necessary changes, without jeopardising the role of diesel as one of the key pillars for fulfilling future CO2 targets.”
Without realistic timeframes and conditions, some diesel models could effectively become unaffordable, forcing manufacturers to withdraw them from sale. This could have repercussions upon consumer choice as well as employment in the wider automotive sector. This will affect not only passenger cars but also lighter commercial vehicles, where diesel is presently the technology of choice for operators.
“Our industry is committed to contributing constructively to the efforts of the Commission and member states to upgrade emissions testing,” explained Jonnaert. “Clarity and predictability will enable manufacturers to continue investing in technologies that meet even higher standards and contribute to the fight against climate change.”
***
About ACEA
ACEA represents the 15 Europe-based car, van, truck and bus manufacturers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ford of Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, IVECO, Jaguar Land Rover, Opel Group, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Volvo Group. More information can be found on www.acea.be or @ACEA_eu .
For more information, please contact Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.be, +32 2 738 73 45 or +32 485 88 66 47."




Transport And Environment:

Governments double and delay air pollution limits for diesel cars


EU governments have agreed to new limits for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel cars that are double the ‘Euro 6’ levels agreed back in 2007. They have also delayed the implementation of new limits for all new cars until 2019. From 2021, all new cars will still be allowed to emit 50% more NOx than the Euro 6 limit of 80mg/km. 



The decision was taken today by national experts in the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV) after the European Commission unexpectedly agreed to substantially weaken its proposals. TCMV is supposed to agree only technical changes to regulations.
Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at Transport & Environment, said: “Citizens will wonder why their governments would rather help carmakers that cheat emissions tests than give them clean air to breathe. This disgraceful and legally questionable decision must be rejected by the European Parliament. It seems governments would rather citizens die as a result of diesel exhaust emissions than require carmakers to fit technology typically costing €100.”
Changing EU air pollution legislation by this closed-door ‘comitology’ process is highly questionable legally. The Commission has argued that uncertainties in the testing method justify setting a higher long-term limit but this is likely to be legally challenged. The decision will also be scrutinised by the European Parliament that could reject the proposed limits as going beyond the powers of the Commission and member states.
Earlier this year the Commission started infringement procedures against the UK, Germany, France and Spain, for failing to meet NO2 standards. Yet these governments, plus those of Italy, Romania and Sweden among others, pushed for the Commission to weaken its proposals. It is now unclear how the countries will meet the required air pollution limits. Failure to do so may result in substantial fines. Only the Netherlands voted for stronger limits.
Greg Archer added: “For carmaking countries Dieselgate has never happened. Nitrogen dioxide pollution, mainly from diesel cars, causes premature deaths, asthma and birth abnormalities. It is shocking that governments are so keen to please carmakers and ignore the health effects of this invisible killer of over half a million citizens annually.”


BBC:

VW emissions scandal: US regulators find more cars with cheat tests



Porsche Cayenne at 2009 Geneva car showImage copyrightReuters

Volkswagen cars with bigger diesel engines also contained software devices designed to cheat in emissions tests, according to US regulators.
Porsche, Audi and VW cars are all included in this new investigation, which affects at least 10,000 vehicles.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that cars with 3.0 litre engines from the years 2014 to 2016 were affected.
However VW denies the vehicles have software designed to cheat tests.
Instead the company says that cars with the 3.0 litre diesel V6 engines "had a software function which had not been adequately described in the application process". 

Porsche 'surprised' 

Volkswagen said it was cooperating with the EPA to "clarify the matter".
"Volkswagen AG wishes to emphasize that no software has been installed in the 3-liter V6 diesel power units to alter emissions characteristics in a forbidden manner," the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Porsche said it was "surprised" by the EPA's allegations.
"Until this notice, all of our information was that the Porsche Cayenne diesel is fully compliant," it said in a statement.
The EPA says the investigation is ongoing.
"VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator at the EPA's enforcement unit.
The EPA identified these diesel models as containing software aimed at cheating tests:
  • 2014 VW Touareg
  • 2015 Porsche Cayenne
  • 2016 Audi A6 Quattro; A7 Quattro, A8, A8L and Q5

Analysis: Theo Leggett BBC business reporter

Although the number of cars involved in the US is relatively small, the latest allegations from the EPA represent a very serious new headache for Volkswagen. 
Firstly, it suggests that the fitting of defeat devices was more widespread than previously thought - although VW has issued a statement contesting the EPA's verdict. 
If the EPA sticks to its guns, that could mean higher fines, more lawsuits - and yet more recalls over and above the millions already announced.
So the multi-billion dollar bill for the scandal may get a lot bigger. 
And then there's a new brand involved: Porsche. Not a manufacturer usually associated with diesel motors, but in fact they are a popular option for larger models such as the Panamera, Macan and Cayenne.
This is very bad news for VW's new chief executive, Matthias Mueller. He's the man charged with clearing up the mess at the company.
But since he was head of Porsche before taking on the top job, if there was wrongdoing associated with Porsche cars, it would have happened on his watch.

In early September Volkswagen admitted to the EPA that cars from the model years 2009 to 2015 contained software designed to cheat emissions tests.
It said that 11 million cars were affected.
That prompted US regulators to run further tests designed to detect such defeat devices and led to today's announcement from the EPA.
"These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues. This is a very serious public health matter," Ms Giles said.

New VW carsImage copyrightPA

Criminal investigations

Regulators all over the world are now looking at Volkswagen's diesel cars and the company is also facing criminal investigations.
State and federal prosecutors in the US have announced criminal investigations and German prosecutors are looking into the scandal.
The company's chief executive Martin Winterkorn resigned in late September as the scale of the scandal emerged.
At the time he said he was "not aware of any wrongdoing on my part" but was acting in the interest of the company.

Mounting costs

Last month Volkswagen reported its first quarterly loss for at least 15 years after taking a big charge to cover the costs of the scandal.
VW said it had set aside €6.7bn ($7.4bn; £4.8bn) to cover costs related to emissions cheating, which left it with a €2.52bn pre-tax loss for the third quarter of the year.
Many analysts expect that the firm will have to set aside more money to cover the recall of cars, penalties and lawsuits."

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