Post by VWCA_Adman on Sept 10, 2016 13:11:36 GMT -6
VW Engineer Pleads Guilty to Dirty Diesel Conspiracy
Sept 9, U.S. District Court in Michigan: Nearly one year after VW admitted to scamming emission tests, VW engineer James Liang plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., commit wire fraud and violate the Clean Air Act by installing an illegal auxiliary emission control device and then lying about it to regulators. The AECD or defect switch was specifically designed to dupe regulators and fool the public. It was developed because VW’s engineers could not meet U.S. NOx emissions with its new for 2009 EA 189 diesel engine or 2.0-liter TDI.
VW certified that its diesel engines met American Clean Air Act rules, when in fact they didn’t. Liang, who has worked for VW since 1983, and moved to the U.S. in 2008 to assist in launching VW’s new line of “clean diesel” vehicles, conspired with other engineers to unlawfully enrich VW and themselves by deceiving regulators and consumers. He was involved in the VW project “US’07” with the strategic goal set by VW’s senior management of selling diesels in this country.
Liang and others disguised their wrongdoing by using the code words acoustic function in emails discussing their defeat software. He and others misrepresented VW’s diesel emissions at meetings with the EPA and CARB. He and others also introduced a software update in 2014 that improved the defeat device’s precision in order to reduce emission control system warranty claims. Liang and others attempted to make discrepancies between VW’s emissions certification and published road tests by West Virginia University’s researchers appear to be caused by innocent mechanical and technological problems rather than an illegal defeat device. He and others also falsely told U.S. regulators that a voluntary recall in 2015 intended to fix the emissions discrepancy would work, when in fact he knew that this update would fail due to its illegal defeat switch.
VW Goes Trucking, Makes Deal with Navistar
Sept. 6, Frankfurt: VW agreed to a purchasing/technology deal with U.S. truck maker Navistar in exchange for a 16.6% stake. The alliance, which will put VW into competition with Daimler and Volvo in the U.S. should help VW and Navistar (International) cut costs and surprisingly help the American firm meet stringent emissions regulations that have stumped the firm. VW Trucks CEO Andreas Renschler said a full merger with Navistar is possible. VW will pay $15.76 a share for 16.2 million new Navistar shares.
Bosch Charged with Involvement in VW’s Emissions Scheme
Sept. 7, San Francisco: A court filing alleges diesel engine control supplier Robert Bosch’s concealed its role in developing VW’s secret emissions skirting defeat device. Lawyers say emails show Bosch demanded VW indemnify it for any legal exposure arising from work on the defeat device. As late as 2014, Bosch’s CEO Volkmar Denner knew about the use of the defeat device, as did former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn.
Sept 9, U.S. District Court in Michigan: Nearly one year after VW admitted to scamming emission tests, VW engineer James Liang plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., commit wire fraud and violate the Clean Air Act by installing an illegal auxiliary emission control device and then lying about it to regulators. The AECD or defect switch was specifically designed to dupe regulators and fool the public. It was developed because VW’s engineers could not meet U.S. NOx emissions with its new for 2009 EA 189 diesel engine or 2.0-liter TDI.
VW certified that its diesel engines met American Clean Air Act rules, when in fact they didn’t. Liang, who has worked for VW since 1983, and moved to the U.S. in 2008 to assist in launching VW’s new line of “clean diesel” vehicles, conspired with other engineers to unlawfully enrich VW and themselves by deceiving regulators and consumers. He was involved in the VW project “US’07” with the strategic goal set by VW’s senior management of selling diesels in this country.
Liang and others disguised their wrongdoing by using the code words acoustic function in emails discussing their defeat software. He and others misrepresented VW’s diesel emissions at meetings with the EPA and CARB. He and others also introduced a software update in 2014 that improved the defeat device’s precision in order to reduce emission control system warranty claims. Liang and others attempted to make discrepancies between VW’s emissions certification and published road tests by West Virginia University’s researchers appear to be caused by innocent mechanical and technological problems rather than an illegal defeat device. He and others also falsely told U.S. regulators that a voluntary recall in 2015 intended to fix the emissions discrepancy would work, when in fact he knew that this update would fail due to its illegal defeat switch.
VW Goes Trucking, Makes Deal with Navistar
Sept. 6, Frankfurt: VW agreed to a purchasing/technology deal with U.S. truck maker Navistar in exchange for a 16.6% stake. The alliance, which will put VW into competition with Daimler and Volvo in the U.S. should help VW and Navistar (International) cut costs and surprisingly help the American firm meet stringent emissions regulations that have stumped the firm. VW Trucks CEO Andreas Renschler said a full merger with Navistar is possible. VW will pay $15.76 a share for 16.2 million new Navistar shares.
Bosch Charged with Involvement in VW’s Emissions Scheme
Sept. 7, San Francisco: A court filing alleges diesel engine control supplier Robert Bosch’s concealed its role in developing VW’s secret emissions skirting defeat device. Lawyers say emails show Bosch demanded VW indemnify it for any legal exposure arising from work on the defeat device. As late as 2014, Bosch’s CEO Volkmar Denner knew about the use of the defeat device, as did former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn.