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VW's 2016 diesels have a different device that may dupe emissions tests
Just when you thought the Volkswagen emissions scandal couldn't get any worse, it might do just that. The automaker revealed to US regulators last week that its 2016 diesel models may have a different device that could help those vehicles earn higher marks on the government's emissions tests. The tech in question is "auxiliary emissions control device" separate from the software on automobiles made between 2009-2015 that was first disclosed last month. This new software heats the pollution control catalyst quicker, boosting the performance of the components responsible for separating harmful nitrogen dioxide into nitrogen and oxygen.[Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images]
Volkswagen may give money to owners of emissions-cheating cars
If you're one of the 11 million owners of a Volkswagen car that's part of the company's huge emissions cheating scandal, you might be getting some compensation for the vehicle's lost value. As reported by ABC News, Volkswagen US CEO Michael Horn (pictured above) testified today in front of a congressional subcommittee and said that the company might pay the owners of affected cars as a way to make up for the fact that resale value for those vehicles (and indeed pretty much any VW out there) is going to drop. However, Horn said that Volkswagen wouldn't be refunding customers money. The company also isn't planning to provide loaner cars for owners, as the affected vehicles are still safe to drive (even though they're releasing up to 40 times more than the EPA's acceptable standard).
Volkswagen's US head knew of possible emissions trouble in 2014
It's no longer a secret that Volkswagen's management was aware of the company's shady diesel emissions practices. Now, however, it's evident that this awareness included some of the car maker's top brass. American group CEO Michael Horn states that he was told of a "possible emissions non-compliance" in spring 2014, or significantly earlier than US execs had hinted at so far. Staff had supposedly told him that engineers would work with the Environmental Protection Agency to fix the problem. Clearly, that didn't happen before word of the scandal got out.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: the Model X and man-made islands
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. After three years of anticipation Tesla just launched its latest electric car. The company says the Model X is the world's safest SUV; it can go from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds; and it comes with a "bioweapon defense mode" in case of... well, the apocalypse. Meanwhile the Volkswagen emissions scandal continues to develop, and this past week, we asked just how many people have died due to pollution emitted by affected vehicles. Perhaps the worst part is that Volkswagen may actually avoid criminal charges due to a loophole in the Clean Air Act.
Volkswagen says 1.2 million UK cars involved in emissions scandal
After confirming that it will spend more than 6.5 billion euros (£4.8 billion) to fix the 11 million vehicles affected by its diesel emissions scandal, Volkswagen has come clean over how many of those are in the UK. The company says a total of 1,189,906 British cars with EA 189 EU5 engines will be recalled in the coming weeks and is in the process of contacting affected customers about what they need to do. It also plans to create a "self-serve process" for owners to check if their car is impacted by the issue, but notes that all of its vehicles are "technically safe and roadworthy" in the meantime.
Volkswagen will fix emissions test-cheating cars ... somehow
Volkswagen is gearing up to fix the cars affected by its diesel emissions cheating scandal -- though the specifics are still up in the air. The company's new CEO, Matthias Mueller, told employees that it'll be reaching out to customers in the next few days about getting their diesel cars retrofitted, Reuters reports. However, it's still unclear how, exactly, VW is going to update those cars. It'll most likely be some sort of software-related fix, since it got into hot water over software that was programmed to misrepresent diesel emissions when cars were being tested. We can expect regulators to scrutinize VW's solution to make sure it's actually solving the problem. It'll also likely affect the mileage and performance of the company's cars, which so far have been some of VW's main selling points. Volkswagen is prepared to spend up to $7.3 billion to clean up the mess, which is getting worse the more we learn (it apparently knew about the test cheating years ago, for one).
Volkswagen knew about shady emissions practices years ago
Volkswagen's recently departed CEO may have been caught off-guard by his company's attempt to hide true diesel car emissions from regulators, but there are now signs that some VW higher-ups knew the truth. German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagzeitung claims that technicians had warned about dodgy emissions practices in 2011, while Bild maintains that key supplier Bosch told "top circles" at VW about its emissions concerns back in 2007. It's not clear just who knew about the issues and where the buck stops -- VW is declining to comment, which isn't surprising when it's still in the midst of an investigation into what happened.
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn resigns amid emissions scandal
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation on Wednesday, following a tumultuous week for the company. On September 18th, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered Volkswagen to recall 500,000 of its diesel passenger cars because they included software that hid the vehicles' true emissions output from regulators. "I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group," Winterkorn said in a statement obtained by CNBC. Winterkorn denied any wrongdoing on his own part, but he accepted "responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines."
Volkswagen thinks emissions scandal could cost it $7.3 billion
After admitting it had altered software to misreport the emissions of its diesel cars, Volkswagen is allocating some serious money to help it save face. The company said today it's set aside a whopping 6.5 billion euros ($7.3 billion) to "cover the necessary service measures and other efforts to win back the trust of our customers." The US Environmental Protection Agency had previously found that the carmaker was utilizing a "defeat device" (software tricks) that would detect when a car was being tested and enable its full emissions control systems. However, once returned to normal mode, a confirmed 11 million Volkswagen and Audi models sold from 2009 emit high levels of nitrogen oxide, which aids air pollution and can cause respiratory issues.
London's new Routemaster buses might not be as green as you think
London's Mayor Boris Johnson has long championed greener public transport, but his hybrid Routemaster buses are now being criticised for faulty batteries and an overdependence on diesel. According to MayorWatch's Christian Wolmar -- who hopes to be Labour's next Mayoral candidate -- 40 drivers from Holloway Garage have put together a dossier explaining the extent of the battery problems. They say the Routemaster buses are now relying on diesel for 90 per cent of their journeys, overworking the small, conventional engines that are only supposed to run while the batteries are charging.
Russia launches its third 'world's quietest' submarine
Russian defense contractor Admiralty Shipyards launched the latest of its ultra-modern Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarines earlier this week. Dubbed the Krasnodar, this sub is the third of six its class. These vessels are primarily designed to hunt surface ships and other subs in littoral waters. They can't dive as deep or stay submerged as long as either modern nuclear subs or the Kilo-class submarines they're meant to replace. However, the Varshavyankas are armed to the gills with 18 torpedoes and eight surface-to-air Club missiles, according to reports from Russia Today. What's more, when running silent, the Krasnodar and its ilk are nearly impossible to detect acoustically, hence their NATO callsign "Black Hole." The first two Varshavyanka-class submarines, the Novorossiysk and the Rostov-on-Don, are currently undergoing deep-water testing and are expected to begin service to the Black Sea Fleet by the end of the year. There are currently no public estimates as to when the Krasnodar will join them. [Image credit: Admiralty Shipyards]
Audi makes eco-friendly diesel from carbon dioxide and water
In an ideal, pollution-free world, everyone would be driving electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars. Audi knows society isn't quite there yet, however, so it has a stopgap if you still get around using conventional vehicles. The automaker recently produced its first batch of "e-diesel," a synthetic diesel based solely on carbon dioxide and water -- readily available chemicals that are far nicer than sulfur and other typical diesel elements. It's even relatively eco-friendly to make, as you use electrolysis to break down the water and merge it with the CO2 in a high-efficiency synthesis process.
Samsung's Gear S hits the runway with Diesel Black Gold for New York Fashion Week
When we saw Samsung's Gear S curved smartwatch last week, we said its design, "feels functional, but also like an afterthought." The 2-inch behemoth certainly doesn't blend into outfits as much as it becomes the centerpiece, for better or worse. Diesel Black Gold -- the even more expensive, "premium" line of the Diesel clothing brand -- is apparently down with that, and is working with Samsung on a variety of "unique" bands (seen above). That's pretty much all the news there is about these so far -- no pricing or release dates were given -- but check out this amazing sentence from the announcement, describing the bands: "Elements of the SS 15 collection, inspired by highly stylized New Wave rock stars and tough rockabilly heroines, have been used to give a sharp attitude to the device, characterized by signature leather and metal details."
Diesel jeans files opposition to Dieselstormers trademark
Lawyers representing the Diesel fashion brand have filed legal opposition to attempts by Germany's Black Forest Games to trademark "Dieselstormers" as the title of an upcoming run and gun shooter. According to Diesel representatives, the game's title could cause confusion in consumers. Despite Diesel being known almost exclusively for its clothing (and its jeans in particular), the company holds a trademark over the term "Diesel" in numerous miscellaneous fields including video games. While this trademark squabble awaits an official ruling, Black Forest Games remains confident that Diesel has no case. "In all probability an understanding will be reached as Black Forest have no intent to create clothing under the Dieselstormers brand - and the "Diesel" part of Dieselstormers refers to the liquid fuel type of the same name and is not a parody of the fashion brand," reads an official statement from Black Forest. [Image: Black Forest Games]
Dyson developed a Google Glass-like headset ten years ago
Dyson is near-synonymous with household electronics like vacuums and fans these days, but we're learning that it could have gone in a very different direction. The company tells The Next Web that it had been developing a Google Glass-like augmented reality headset, the Halo, between 2001 and 2004. The wearable (pictured here) projected visual cues, took voice commands and even sported a virtual keyboard that let you type on any flat surface. Dyson had a prototype, but ultimately canned the design to focus on both its core products and US expansion plans.
Volvo begins producing V60 diesel plug-in hybrid, claims a world first
There are hybrids. There are diesel hybrids. But the diesel plug-in hybrid is still virtually unknown -- enough so that Volvo claims it's breaking new ground by starting production of the V60 diesel plug-in it's been preparing since 2011. The company still plans to manufacture only small numbers of the wagon at its Gothenburg factory, but it's clear all that talk in Geneva of 124MPG fuel economy and a 285HP combined powertrain has convinced enough early adopters; Volvo has already sold out of the 2013 model's tiny 1,000-car batch, and it expects to build 4,000 to 6,000 per year for the 2014 generation. While potential buyers who've been waiting for a test drive will no doubt be disappointed, the Americans of the bunch can at least take comfort in knowing that there's an eventual US launch in the cards.
FedEx gets amped about electrifying its step vans
If, like ours, your ears are finely tuned to the sound of the delivery van's engine, prepare for lots more collection slips. FedEx is working with gas-to-EV converters, Amp, to switch some of its wagons over to the electric side of the fence. At the moment, just two vehicles will be ditching the diesel, but should the Washington, D.C.-based testing go well, it could lead to a further 9000 vans getting the petro-snip. Amp Electric Vehicles identified fleets such as FedEx's as ideal candidates for the conversion, based on the shorter daily range requirements and typically poor gas mileage. Good news and all, and we admire the firm's forward thinking, but how are we going to hear our latest impulse-purchase coming round the corner now?
CE-Oh no he didn't!: BMW exec says electric vehicles 'won't work,' but would love to sell you one anyway
Jim O'Donnell, CEO and chairman of BMW North America, recently sat down with the Detroit News to discuss the ActiveE -- an electric version of BMW's 1 Series coupe, available for lease in the US this fall. Most CEOs would've probably used the opportunity to wax PR poetic about their company's bold, forward-looking ethos, because that's what CEOs do. O'Donnell, however, used the occasion to let us in on a dirty little secret: EVs don't actually work. According to O'Donnell's undoubtedly robust calculations, EVs won't work for "at least 90-percent" of the human population, at current battery ranges. The situation is so dire, in fact, that the US government shouldn't even bother wasting its $7,500 tax credits on frivolous things like innovation, national security and clean air. "I believe in a free economy. I think we should abolish all tax credits. What they are doing is putting a bet on technology, which is not appropriate. As a taxpayer, I am not sure this is the right way to go." O'Donnell went on to say he's "far more optimistic" about diesel's chances of increasing BMW's US market share -- because, you know, it's not like the oil industry gets any tax breaks, or anything. And it's not like diverting some money away from oil subsidies and putting it toward EV technology would create the "level playing field" that O'Donnell and his company so desperately need. No siree, the US energy market is just as pure and fair as it's always been -- and it certainly doesn't deserve to be corrupted by an EV tax credit pestilence. That said, O'Donnell would still really appreciate it if we buy the battery-powered i3 when it launches in 2013. Who knows? He may even throw in a free bridge, too.
Audi's A3 e-tron gearing up for 2013, should hit 90 miles per charge
You may live your life a quarter-mile at a time, but let's face it -- you still care about the environment. To that end, you've patiently awaited Audi's hybrid Spyder, even with the company playing coy about electric vehicles in general. Its latest tease is a far cry from the aforesaid ghost, but the A3 e-tron -- an entry-level Sportback begging to be modified -- is certainly sexy in its own right. Not exactly Fast and Furious material, given that it needs 11 seconds to reach 60mph and tops out at 90mph, but still -- a pair of lithium-ion batteries should give it 90-mile range per nine-hour charge. We'd take the Roadster S' 165-mile ride if given the choice, but we'll confess to confessing as much prior to consulting our practical side. No hard word on availability or pricing -- the company likely wants it on the streets by 2013, but don't go changing your name to Vin Battery just yet. Or Vin Anything, for that matter.
Land Rover develops Range_e hybrid, will show it off at the Geneva Motor Show
You know electric cars are in the ascendancy when even the fearsome 4x4s start looking to add an extra little spark to their energy production and storage. Land Rover has just announced it'll demo one -- there are multiple working versions -- of its development prototypes at the Geneva Motor Show next month, treating us to an exhibition of what a diesel engine can do when augmented with some electric firepower. The Range_e's design is based on the Range Rover Sport and its 3.0-liter TDV6 core, however the new vehicle is capable of going a full 20 miles purely on its electric charge and touts a whopping 690-mile range altogether. Let's hope Geneva shows enough interest in the Range_e to compel Land Rover to turn it into a commercial reality.
