Dieselgate: VW's fix will impact cars' performance
US boss says owners likely to be compensated for "slight impact" on performanceThe grilling of Volkswagen Group of America's CEO, Michael Horn, by US politicians has shed little extra light on the ramifications of the #Dieselgate controversy.
Grilled for three hours by a US congressional committee, Horn conceded that once the vehicles affected by the 'defeat device' software have been corrected (via software and hardware replacements), they are likely to lose some drivability – although fuel economy is not expected to change.
"To my current understanding, in achieving the emissions standard the Monroney label miles per gallon will be achieved [but] there might be a slight impact on the performance," Horn told the committee at the US congress.
The Monroney label is US market requirement. The sticker is displayed on all new cars and includes official information on subjects including fuel economy, engine specs, pricing and the like. The label is named the senator who sponsored the Automobile Information Disclosure Act of 1958 which “mandated disclosure of information on new automobiles”.
Horn went one step further in his answers to the pollies, conceded that customers can be expected to be compensated for any shortfalls.
"And this is naturally not only the discussions with the [emissions] agencies but, of course, we will look into compensating our customers, and if it would be significant differences this will be part of the discussion," said the VW USA boss.
It's estimated around 11 million vehicles globally have been affected by the Dieselgate emissions cheating affair, including Volkswagens, Audis and Skodas.
VW Australia has admitted over 90,000 affected vehicles have been sold in Australia. Last week the company set up websites for owners to check if their EA189-engined turbo-diesel vehicles are included.
Affected cars have been withdrawn from sale in Australia but because of the scope of the issue the recalled vehicles are unlikely to be remedied until 2016 – with some reports saying late 2016.
US CEO Horn drew the ire of Republican congressman Chris Collins, who asked how the emissions cheating devices were installed in so many cars in the first place.
"This was a couple of software engineers who put this in for whatever reason," said Horn.
"Some people have made the wrong decisions in order to get away with something that will have to be found out."
Collins "categorically" rejected this explanation, arguing that it was unlikely two powertrain software engineers were the root cause of the Dieselgate scandal.
"Either your entire organisation is incompetent when it comes to trying to come up with intellectual property, and I don't believe that for a second, or they are complicit at the highest levels in a massive cover-up that continues today," said the congressman.
Horn responded: "I agree it's very hard to believe."
In perhaps the best one-liner of the hearings, referring to disgraced US cyclist, one US Congressman dubbed Volkswagen the “Lance Armstrong of the [auto] industry”.
Dieselgate related reading:
Aussie Volkswagens and Audis recalled
Dieselgate won't tarnish other German brands
Huge recall planned, other brands hit
Audis affected top two million
ACCC issues statement on VW emissions saga
Müller locked in as Volkswagen CEO
BMW forced to deny emissions rigging
Volkswagen boss Winterkorn to go as crisis spreads
Dieselgate worsens, 11m vehicles could be affected
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