Volkswagen admits to cheating in USA emissions tests
Volkswagen and its subsidiary company Audi, have been caught cheating in their emissions tests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered a 'defeat device' that the companies have been using in their cars to pass these tests. This software has the ability to detect when the car is being tested for emissions, and automatically switch on all the emissions regulating measures for the duration of the test. When the test is complete, the engine returns to the regular driving mode, which when tested, produced 40 times the permitted level of nitrogen oxide (NOx).
The 'defeat device' was found to be used on the diesel engines made between 2009 and 2015 in cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta, Passat and the Audi A3. The company admitted that upto 11 million vehicles worldwide might be equipped with this 'defeat device'. The EPA has ordered a stop-sale on all the cars running their 2.0-litre TDI engines, while they carry out investigations on Volkswagen's 3.0-litre V6 TDI seen in the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7 and also the Porsche Cayenne.
Volkswagen India, however, won't be facing any such problems as India's emissions regulations are not as stringent as the USA's.