As the Diesel Emits: It's Going Be Awhile Before A Fix Is Available For Volkswagen's Diesels

It was expected that Volkswagen would begin repairing diesel vehicles with the illegal software in the first few months of 2016. But after the California Air Resources Board rejected Volkswagen's fix this week, the timeframe for when vehicles will be fixed is unknown.

On Tuesday, CARB said Volkswagen plan were "incomplete, substantially deficient and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles” to compliance.

Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, Chris Grundler, director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality said his team agreed with CARB's decision.

“Both CARB and EPA continue to insist on an expeditious fix that will not only bring these vehicles into compliance but also do so in a way that doesn’t create any adverse impacts for owners. We’re not there yet,” said Grundler.

Grundler went on to say Volkswagen's proposal fell short in a number of areas and that more effort is needed.

“I do want to say that this is not a political matter. It’s a serious matter, the deficiencies cover a range of areas. I would not characterize it as dotting i’s or crossing t’s. We agreed with CARB’s assessment … but we’re going to keep talking.”

Grundler's comments came before a meeting between EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller and brand chief Herbert Diess to work out a deal on a possible fix. The two parties emerged without a deal, but both were very appreciated about the meeting and work towards a fix would continue.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)