BETTER PARTSOn the VW affair now follows the Fiat-Chrysler affair?
Detroit (United States), 13 January 2017
The financial consequences of the diesel fudging for Volkswagen in the United States to work out gradually. But could a similar affair in the Fiat-Chrysler Group approaching now: the American environmental protection agency accused of FCA (Fiat Chrysler automobiles), also used a pirated software, which would lead to increased NOx emissions of diesel vehicles.
More than 100,000 vehicles affected
According to a press release the authority was on last Thursday (January 12) a violation of the clean air act firmly. This air pollution control law obliged the automakers, the environmental protection agency to prove that the offered vehicles comply with the statutory emission limits. In particular, the manufacturer must disclose the existence of so-called additional exhaust gas cleaning facilities ("auxiliary emission control devices"). This was not done RAM 1500 of model years 2014 to 2016 when the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge. The software had been used at the 3.0-liter diesel engines. According to the EPA, about 104,000 vehicles in the United States are affected. The EPA also investigated whether these technical devices may constitute defeat devices (defeat devices), which are completely prohibited in the United States.
'Once again the major manufacturers caught'
"Again a major auto manufacturer has made the business decision to circumvent the rules and got caught," said Mary Nichols, the chairwoman of the California Environmental Protection Agency CARB. "Progressive development of the Volkswagen case CARB and EPA have extended test required, and this is a result of this cooperation." That could mean for the interested audience: to be continued.
Criminal processing in the United States begins
Also first criminal consequences of the VW diesel affair begin to emerge now. The former manager for VW's cooperation with the US authorities, Oliver Schmidt, has been arrested already on Saturday (January 7) on his way home from a vacation in Florida at the Miami Airport. Is accused of having led the US authorities regarding the diesel exhaust gas cleaning of VW vehicles in the astray.
Honest or not honest?
As West Virginia University measurements on resulted in the spring of 2014, that NOx emissions exceed the limits seen a 40-fold increase, Schmidt wrote according to a FBI report to a colleague: "first has to decide, if we are honest. If we are not honest, everything stays as it is." The reported the Nachrichenportal Bloomberg.com in an online article by January 12. Now at worst life imprisonment threatens Schmidt in the United States. Five other VW managers however including the former engine developer Heinz-Jakob Neußer located in Germany, are accused alongside him. (sl)