In 2015 when existence of VW emission cheating software came under the scanner, it shook the entire world vigorously. The emission cheating software is being used in the widely popular TDI diesel engines. This software reduces the nitrogen oxide (NOs) emission in controlled environment, cheating the emission tests. Whereas in normal condition these TDI engines emit 40 times higher nitrogen oxide than the lab tested figures. As it seems, the infamous emission cheating software was actually developed by another German luxury automaker Audi in the late 1990s, which is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.
Recently a German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that, in 1999 Audi developed the emission cheating defeat device in an attempt to hide the actual emission amount. Although, they developed the software, but the German luxury automaker didn’t use the device at that time. It was Volkswagen who used the technology in their cars six years later after the development. At that time, Volkswagen was unable to reduce the nitrogen oxide emission below legal limits. So they took the choice of using the defeat device instead.
More than 11 million diesel cars with the particular TDI engines under the hood were sold globally, which were all fitted with the emission cheating defeat device. The cheating attempt first came under scanner in the US last year. Afterward several countries across the globe started government probe against the German automaker. It was found that the automaker has been selling the affected cars globally in several markets. The affected cars include several Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Seat vehicles. In India too Volkswagen and Audi cars were found fitted with the emission cheating defeat device. After the recent report was published in the German newspaper, both the German automakers Volkswagen and Audi declined to make any comment on the 1999 development, which gave birth to the defeat device.
Source: Reuters
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & on Youtube