Posted on 09/25/2015 6:47:20 AM PDT by Red Badger
In the wake of the VW diesel scandal, German magazine Autobild found the Euro-market BMW X3 xDrive 20d also exceeds emissions limits by a significant amount.
Volkswagen's unfolding diesel emissions crisis may prove to involve other automakers as well: German magazine Autobild reports that a German-market, diesel-powered BMW X3 xDrive 20d put out 11 times the legal limit of pollution in a test commissioned by the magazine. (Update below)
Automotive News, which translated the Autobild report, explains that the BMW was tested by the International Council on Clean Transportation, the same group whose findings led U.S. regulators to investigate Volkswagen's U.S. diesel models.
Over at Jalopnik, Máté Petrány reports that the Euro-spec X3 tested by the magazine put out 11.88 times the Euro 6 limit for NOx emissions—slightly worse than a U.S.-spec Passat TDI tested by the magazine, but almost half of the emissions produced by a U.S.-spec Jetta TDI and a Euro-spec Audi A8 3.0 TDI included in the test.
BMW denied the report, saying in a statement that "there is no function to recognize emissions testing cycles at BMW. All emissions systems remain active outside the testing cycle." BMW shares dropped nearly 10 percent in European trading as a result of the report.
In the wake of the ongoing diesel emissions crisis, the European Union urged all 28 member-countries to open investigations into real-world vehicle emissions. The German transport ministry vowed to conduct spot-checks on Volkswagens and other manufacturers alike, Bloomberg Business reports.
Meanwhile at Volkswagen, the resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn seems to be only the first executive-level departure: Bloomberg reports that Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg and Porsche development head Wolfgang Hatz will leave the company. The VW Group will announce Winterkorn's replacement tomorrow.
Update: BMW contacted R&T with a statement of clarification from Autobild on how it obtained the reportest test results. "The emission values of a BMW X3 xdrive 20d sent to AUTO BILD by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) had been supplied to ICCT by British test institute Emissions Analytics," the statement reads in part. "The values mentioned in the document were only generated in a single, one hour-long road test. Auto BILD has no access to the details of this test trail, which might explain the discrepancies to the test cycle NEDC.
"In light of the VW emission scandal, AUTO BILD deems it of utmost importance to emphasize that the communicated emission value of the tested BMW X3 is by no means proof of manipulation or the existence of a defeat device as found in the vehicles of VW [. . .] AUTO BILD never intended to accuse BMW of manipulating emission levels."
Perhaps it is...but I see the root of the problem as the ridiculous California emission regs.
Audi and Skoda say 3.3m cars have ‘cheat’ emissions software
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34377443
I always suspected that guy. ;)
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