Dieselgate: VW Diesel Emissions Scandal - Information & FAQ

[VW Derf]

Below is a list of information know about the VW Diesel Emissions Scandal. There will be no commentary in this thread. For that you can go to the very quickly moving thread here http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=448053.
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Time line via press Releases and media statements:
5/30/2014 WVU CAFEE study that uncovered the emissions scandal: http://www.theicct.org/use-emissions...el-vehicles-us
9/18/2015 EPA press release: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/dfc8e33b5ab162b985257ec40057813b!OpenDocument
9/18/2015 EPA notice of violation: http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/docume...a-09-18-15.pdf
9/18/2015 CARB compliance letter set to Volkswagen: http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/in_use...nce_letter.htm
9/18/2015 Volkswagen statement regarding EPA investigation: http://media.vw.com/release/1064/
9/18/2015 Stop sale notice from VWoA to dealers: http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/3209/stop-sale-note3.pdf
9/20/2015 STATEMENT OF PROF. DR. MARTIN WINTERKORN, CEO OF VOLKSWAGEN AG: http://media.vw.com/release/1066/
9/20/2015 VW’s Emissions Cheating Found by Curious Clean-Air Group - Washington Post article with an overview: http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?...206LJABAVM0V73.
9/21/2015 "Volkswagen Canada has issued a stop-sale order to our dealers for all of the affected vehicles pending resolution of this matter": http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/volk...ging-1.3236548..
9/21/2015 Tech presentation from TDIFest over the Labor Day weekend on the subject of DEF and SCR by TDIMeister: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.p...postcount=1613
9/21/2015 Volkswagen the subject of an upcoming congressional hearing: http://energycommerce.house.gov/pres...issions-issues
9/22/2015 CEO Martin Winterkorn issues profuse apology: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...ide-6.5bn.html
9/22/2015 Ad hoc announcement from Volkswagen AG
9/23/2015 Volkswagen Canada Suspends Sales of Vehicles Named in US EPA Notice
9/23/2015 STATEMENT BY PROF. DR. WINTERKORN
9/23/2015 STATEMENT FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF VOLKSWAGEN AG'S SUPERVISORY BOARD
9/24/2015 Time line and background from Reuters
9/25/2015 Matthias Müller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group
9/25/2015 THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP IS RESTRUCTURING: SUPERVISORY BOARD PASSES RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW ORGANIZATION
9/25/2015 STATEMENT BY THE SUPERVISORY BOARD OF VOLKSWAGEN AG
9/25/2015 DR. HERBERT DIESS, CEO OF THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSENGER CARS BRAND, EXPLAINS: "WE ARE WORKING AT FULL SPEED ON A SOLUTION."
9/25/2015 VW Canada creates a website dedicated to this issue: http://www.vwemissionsinfo.ca
9/25/2015 VW of America has a website with FAQ and official information: www.vwdieselinfo.com
9/29/2015 Volkswagen Has Refit Plan For Emissions-Rigged Vehicles, Says CEO
9/30/2015 VW and Audi Returning Green Car Of The Year® Awards, Vehicles Deemed Ineligible
10/01/2015: VW says emission scandal investigations to take months
10/06/2015: VW News Release: Matthias Müller: "We will overcome this crisis"
10/06/2015: Kelley Blue Book: Volkswagen Diesel Car Values Decline 13%
10/06/2015: VW has no evidence against suspended top engineers: source
10/06/2015: VW CEO says recall to start in January, be completed end-2016 *Most likely this does NOT include Canada and the US.
10/07/2015: VW appoints Hans-Dieter Pötsch as chairman - Detusche Welle
10/07/2015: Volkswagen plays down hopes of quick answers over emissions cheating - Reuters
10/07/2015: EPA officials tell House panel they cannot detail VW probe - Reuters
10/07/2015: Volkswagen Withdraws U.S. Request to Certify 2016 Model-Year Vehicles - NASDAQ article
10/07/2015: TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL HORN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
10/08/2015: VW offices raided in emissions probe - Deutsche Welle
10/08/2015: Michael Horn testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on the Volkswagen emission - NPR
10/08/2015: Excerpts from above testimony
10/08/2015: Older VW diesels will need software and hardware fixes, Horn tells lawmakers - autonews.com
10/08/2015: U.S. House slams regulators for not catching Volkswagen for years - reuters.com
10/08/2015: Excerpts from above testimony
10/08/2015: Older VW diesels will need software and hardware fixes, Horn tells lawmakers - autonews.com
10/13/2015: VOLKSWAGEN BRAND BOARD OF MANAGEMENT TAKES STRATEGIC DECISIONS (inc. Reorientation of the diesel strategy)
C DECISIONS
10/14/2015: At least 30 involved in VW diesel cheat: Spiegel
10/14/2015: VW denies report saying over 30 managers involved in emissions rigging
10/14/2015:VW veteran lined up to be North America boss quits
10/14/2015: 2016 VW Diesels Have New Software Affecting Emissions Tests

10/15/2015:Germany mandatory orders recall of 2.4 million Volkswagen cars - WSJ
10/15/2015: Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) in Germany decides on recall for affected EA 189 diesel vehicles - VW Media release
10/15/2015: Fix may soon be ready for Volkswagen Passat diesel engines - CBC
10/16/2015: Daimler AG agrees to move of Board Member for Integrity and Legal Affairs to Volkswagen AG

10/19/2015: Volkswagen diesel owners in U.S. face lost value and limbo - Reuters
10/20/2015: Volkswagen Suspends 5th Executive in Emissions Scandal - NY Times
10/20/2015 Volkswagen’s brand value still high with Germans: Survey - CNBC
10/21/2015: : VW's Emissions Retrofit May Be Among Costliest Recalls Ever - Bloomberg
10/22/2015: VW examining if newer engine involved in emissions scandal - Globe and Mail
10/22/2015: VW examines newer engine's involvement in emissions scandal - Reuters
10/27/2015: VW shelves overhaul of U.S. business until scandal abates: sources - Reuters
10/28/2015: Volkswagen books first quarterly loss in 15 years - Deutsche Welle
10/28/2015:Matthias Müller unveils next steps for the Volkswagen Group - VW News Release
10/28/2015: Volkswagen Group generates operating profit before special items of EUR 10.2 billion (EUR 9.4 billion) by the end of September - VW News Release
10/28/2015: VW dealers offer hefty discounts as diesel crisis keeps U.S. buyers away - Reuters
11/02/2015: VW, Porsche, Audi 3.0-liter diesels also have 'defeat devices,' EPA says - Automotive News
11/02/2015: EPA: VW cheated on Audi, Porsche diesel SUVs, too - USA Today
11/06/2015: Germany to retest VW cars as scandal pushes Berlin to act - Reuters
11/09/2015: Volkswagen moves to appease angry customers, workers - Reuters
11/09/2015: Email was sent to VW of Canada to owners of affected 2.0l TDI vehicles stating: "Very shortly, Volkswagen Canada will be offering Owners of affected TDI vehicles an Owner Credit Package as a gesture of goodwill for your continued patience."

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Technical Papers
September 2015 white paper NOx Control Technologies for Euro 6 Diesel Passenger Cars: http://www.theicct.org/sites/default...2009152015.pdf
TDIFest 2015: TDIMeister's TDIFest 2015 Tech Presentation - Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and SCR
Affected vehicles in the US:

Real world testing:

Vehicle A = 2012 Jetta SportWagen TDI DSG (LNT), Vehicle B = 2013 Passat TDI DSG (SCR), Vehicle C = 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d (SCR)
Here is a summary article of the test that brought this issue to light: http://www.citylab.com/crime/2015/09...kswagen/407149
EPA federal emissions test procedure:

There is lots of good information in all of the links above. It is highly recommended reading if you want to know the facts.
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Other websites to get information:

• Also you can see TDI related media releases on the VWoA (or is it now VW of North America) site here: http://media.vw.com/releases/category/18/
• VW Canada has a website with FAQ and official information: www.vwemissionsinfo.ca
• VW of America has a website with FAQ and official information: www.vwdieselinfo.com

[VW Derf]

Here is a small section of news articles that have been forwarded to us:

• September 21, 2015: http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...679_story.html
• September 22, 2015: FACTBOX-Response from national regulators on VW emissions tests - Reuters
• September 22, 2015: Volkswagen TDI diesel scandal: All you need to know- Mashable
• September 22,2015: The Unassuming Engineer Who Exposed Volkswagen - Huffington Post

[VeeDubTDI]

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn admits that 11-million EA189 commonrail 4-cylinder diesel engines world-wide contain the emissions "defeat device."

http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/...Ad_hoc_US.html

http://jalopnik.com/volkswagen-admit...s-s-1732283322

http://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen.../12353294.html

[VeeDubTDI]

"The EPA’s director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Chris Grundler, told The Detroit News on Monday that the EPA would also take a new look at larger VW diesel engines in several Audi luxury models and the Porsche Cayenne."

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...agen/72605814/

[VeeDubTDI]

EPA revises notice of violation to definitively include the 2012 and 2013 Passats. ALL 4-cylinder commonrail TDIs including the new EA288 series are now covered in this scandal. FAQs from the EPA are at the bottom of the link below.

http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/violations.htm#affected

[VW Derf]

September 22, 2015 17:32: Government of Canada opens an investigation into Volkswagen's alleged use of defeat devices to circumvent emissions regulations

[VeeDubTDI]

Lawmakers in Tennessee plan to hold hearings over whether the Volkswagen emissions scandal could imperil the nearly $900 million in state and local incentives that have been directed toward the German automaker's lone U.S. plant in Chattanooga.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/t...andal-33959396

[BKmetz]

Good article by Scientific American explaining how this can happen.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...issions-deals/

[VW Derf]

September 23, 2015:

• EPA Expands VW Diesel Probe To Audi, Porsche V-6s; All Diesels To Be Tested
• What VW is getting right in the emissions-cheating scandal
• Volkswagen AG has hired the U.S. law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP to help it deal with the widening scandal over the carmaker’s faked pollution controls, according to a company spokeswoman
• Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned on Wednesday:
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/23/marti...wagen-ceo.html
  • http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0RL0II20150923

[VW Derf]

September 24, 2015: Reuters: VW recall letters in April warned of an emissions glitch (2306 Emissions Service Action)

[VeeDubTDI]

CD-15-24 (LDV)
September 25, 2015

SUBJECT: EPA Conducted Confirmatory Testing

Dear Manufacturer:

Per the regulations of 40 CFR §86.1809, EPA may test or require testing on any vehicle at a designated location, using driving cycles and conditions that may reasonably be expected to be encountered in normal operation and use, for the purposes of investigating a potential defeat device. Such testing can be expected in addition to the standard emissions test cycles when Emissions Data Vehicles (EDV), and Fuel Economy Data Vehicles (FEDV) are tested by EPA.

Manufacturers should expect that this additional testing may add time to the confirmatory test process and that additional mileage may be accumulated on the EDVs and FEDVs.

The regulations of 40 CFR §86.1836 also require manufacturers to supply production vehicles for testing upon request.

If you have any questions, please contact your certification team representative or Linc Wehrly at 734-214-4286 or by email at wehrly.linc@epa.gov.

Sincerely,
Byron J. Bunker, Director
Compliance Division
Office of Transportation and Air Quality

http://www3.epa.gov/otaq/cert/docume...2015-09-25.pdf

[VW Derf]

September 25, 2015: Matthias Müller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group
September 25, 2015: THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP IS RESTRUCTURING: SUPERVISORY BOARD PASSES RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW ORGANIZATION
September 25, 2015: STATEMENT BY THE SUPERVISORY BOARD OF VOLKSWAGEN AG
9/25/2015 [b]DR. HERBERT DIESS, CEO OF THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSENGER CARS BRAND, EXPLAINS: "WE ARE WORKING AT FULL SPEED ON A SOLUTION."[b]

[VW Derf]

Reorganization of the North America region / Successor Prof. Vahland
The Supervisory Board decided on the reorganization of the Group's activities in North America. The markets in the USA, Mexico, and Canada will be combined and significantly strengthened to form a new North America region. Effective November 1, the Group's activities in the region will be led by Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland (58), formerly Chairman of the Board of Directors at Škoda, who in this new role becomes a member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management. Prof. Vahland's successor as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Škoda will be Bernhard Maier (55), until now Board Member for Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG. Michael Horn (52) remains President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

New Group functions for efficiency and future-oriented fields
Group functions will concentrate more closely on efficiency and future-oriented fields; organizational units, for example for Group product strategy, new business fields, cooperations and holdings, connected car activities, and CO2 steering, will therefore be set up. According to Huber, "new, strong Group functions, such as for standardization and harmonized production processes, will lay the timely foundations for efficient decision-making. We will become faster and more agile." Furthermore, a Chief Technology Officer will analyze and, if necessary, co-steer technical developments throughout the Group as mandated by the Group Board of Management.


September 25, 2015: THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP IS RESTRUCTURING: SUPERVISORY BOARD PASSES RESOLUTIONS FOR NEW ORGANIZATION

[VW Derf]

DR. HERBERT DIESS, CEO OF THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSENGER CARS BRAND, EXPLAINS: "WE ARE WORKING AT FULL SPEED ON A SOLUTION."Sep 25, 2015

In the press release dated September 22, 2015, the Volkswagen Group announced that Volkswagen Group vehicles worldwide are affected by the current issues regarding emissions.
The internal evaluation revealed that approximately five million Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand vehicles are affected worldwide. Certain models and model years of these vehicles (such as the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf, the seventh generation Volkswagen Passat and the first generation Volkswagen Tiguan) are equipped exclusively with type EA 189 diesel engines.

As previously announced, all new Volkswagen Passenger Car brand vehicles that fulfill the EU6 norm valid throughout Europe are not affected. This therefore also includes the current Golf, Passat and Touran models.

Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand stressed: "We are working at full speed on a technical solution that we will present to partners, to our customers and to the public as swiftly as possible. Our aim is to inform our customers as quickly as possible, so that their vehicles comply fully with regulations. I assure you that Volkswagen will do everything humanly possible to win back the trust of our customers, the dealerships and the public."

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand will inform all markets worldwide how many of vehicles are affected locally. We are working intensively on remedial measures in close coordination with the certification authorities. The vehicles are and remain technically safe and roadworthy.

September 25, 2015: http://media.vw.com/release/1076/

[VeeDubTDI]

Volkswagen Media Newsroom

News: TDI Updates

http://media.vw.com/releases/category/18/

Here is your one-stop shop for updates from Volkswagen about the ongoing TDI emissions scandal.