WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) — The Environmental Protection Agency and California’s Air Resources Board on Monday announced further violations by Volkswagen AG related to the recent discovery of software implanted by the German automaker intended to skirt U.S. emissions laws.
The agencies said the automaker received a second notice of violation of the Clean Air Act, which affects thousands of additional Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles.
“The [violation] alleges that VW developed and installed a defeat device in certain VW, Audi and Porsche light duty diesel vehicles equipped with 3.0 liter engines for model years 2014 through 2016 that increases emissions of nitrogen oxide up to nine times EPA’s standard,” the federal agency said in a statement Monday. “The vehicles covered by today’s [notice] are the diesel versions of the 2014 VW Touareg, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8, A8L, and Q5.”
The EPA and California Air Resources Board, which have each been investigatingpotential violations involving Volkswagen, said in a conference call Monday that the new notice of violation affects about 10,000 vehicles made for 2014 and 2015, and an unknown number of 2016 model year vehicles.
Officials said the new NOV follows the notice announced on Sept. 18 that addressed the automaker’s emissions law avoidance software — known as a “defeat device.” More of the devices were found in recent testing of Volkswagen vehicles, the EPA said.
“VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans,” EPA Enforcement and Compliance Assurance official Cynthia Giles said. “All companies should be playing by the same rules.”
Investigators said the additional devices were discovered by new rounds of testing on Volkswagen vehicles that began on Sept. 25.
“These tests have raised serious concerns about the presence of defeat devices on additional VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles … This is a very serious public health matter,” CARB Executive Officer Richard Corey said.
Volkswagen, though, refuted the agency’s claims Monday — saying no “defeat devices” were ever installed on any of its vehicles with 3-liter V6 diesel engines.
“EPA informed Volkswagen [AG] on Monday that vehicles with V6 TDI engines had a software function which had not been adequately described in theapplication process. 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 automaker replied Monday. “Volkswagen will cooperate fully with the EPA clarify this matter in its entirety.”
U.S. officials have said Volkswagen’s controversial devices were designed to kick inwhen vehicles undergo standard emissions testing.
“When the vehicle senses that it is undergoing a federal emissions test procedure, it operates in a low NOx ‘temperature conditioning’ mode. Under that mode, the vehicle meets emission standards,” the EPA said. “At exactly one second after the completionof the initial phases of the standard test procedure, the vehicle immediately changes a number of operating parameters that increase NOx emissions and indicates in the software that it is transitioning to ‘normal mode,’ where emissions of NOx increase up to nine times the EPA standard.”
Authorities continue to investigate the automaker, whose CEO resigned a few days after the controversy emerged.
Nearly a half million vehicles were affected by the EPA’s first NOV against VW. The automaker halted sales of those models, but it wasn’t clear whether it would do the same with the cars identified in Monday’s notice.
