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The Trump Administration and the EPA officials have scrapped all further talks with California and canceled the $929 million in federal funds for a California high-speed rail project. California's Governor has responded that this is in response to California leading a 16 state coalition challenge to President Trump's national emergency to take funds from the defense department and apply it to building a wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. California has already filed suit to block the Trump administration proposal to roll back federal fuel economy targets for 2022-2025. CARB Chair Mary Nichols is on record that they are willing to work with the auto industry in giving more flexibility to comply with the greenhouse gas limits. This came as the White house administration instructed the EPA to break off talks before Christmas and have not responded to any suggested areas of compromise by California and the 19 states they are representing nor the auto industry suggestions for compromise. While FCA declined to comment, GM and the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers did not respond to a request for comment. Ford has stated they are very disappointed in the failure of continued talks. Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of global operations said in a statement: "The auto industry needs regulatory certainty, not protracted litigation." The auto industry is on record as opposing freezing the emissions / fuel efficiency standards to 2020 levels but also want relief from the roughly 5 percent annual carbon reduction targets for all vehicle classes fuel efficiency. View full article -
EPA ends talks with California and 19 other states
G. David Felt posted an article in Automotive Industry
The Trump Administration and the EPA officials have scrapped all further talks with California and canceled the $929 million in federal funds for a California high-speed rail project. California's Governor has responded that this is in response to California leading a 16 state coalition challenge to President Trump's national emergency to take funds from the defense department and apply it to building a wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. California has already filed suit to block the Trump administration proposal to roll back federal fuel economy targets for 2022-2025. CARB Chair Mary Nichols is on record that they are willing to work with the auto industry in giving more flexibility to comply with the greenhouse gas limits. This came as the White house administration instructed the EPA to break off talks before Christmas and have not responded to any suggested areas of compromise by California and the 19 states they are representing nor the auto industry suggestions for compromise. While FCA declined to comment, GM and the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers did not respond to a request for comment. Ford has stated they are very disappointed in the failure of continued talks. Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of global operations said in a statement: "The auto industry needs regulatory certainty, not protracted litigation." The auto industry is on record as opposing freezing the emissions / fuel efficiency standards to 2020 levels but also want relief from the roughly 5 percent annual carbon reduction targets for all vehicle classes fuel efficiency. -
Ford Launching Investigation Into Its Own Emissions Certifications
Drew Dowdell posted an article in Ford
Ford is launching an investigation into its own emissions and fuel economy certification process according to a statement released by the company. The issue was brought to light back in September when a number of employees reported concerns through Ford's internal Speak Up channel. The concern surrounds Road Load, a vehicle-specific resistance level used in dynamometer testing. Too much or too little resistance will alter the results of the emissions and fuel economy. Road load is determined through engineering estimates that are then validated on the track. Ford is evaluating changes to the road load determination process. The company is quick to point out that none of the potential concerns involve the use of defeat devices and that no determination has been made on the need to restate Ford's fuel economy or emissions labels. Ford has hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation into Ford's current processes and has shared their findings with both the EPA and CARB. The first vehicle to be re-evaluated is the 2019 Ford Ranger with others to follow. -
Ford is launching an investigation into its own emissions and fuel economy certification process according to a statement released by the company. The issue was brought to light back in September when a number of employees reported concerns through Ford's internal Speak Up channel. The concern surrounds Road Load, a vehicle-specific resistance level used in dynamometer testing. Too much or too little resistance will alter the results of the emissions and fuel economy. Road load is determined through engineering estimates that are then validated on the track. Ford is evaluating changes to the road load determination process. The company is quick to point out that none of the potential concerns involve the use of defeat devices and that no determination has been made on the need to restate Ford's fuel economy or emissions labels. Ford has hired an outside firm to conduct an investigation into Ford's current processes and has shared their findings with both the EPA and CARB. The first vehicle to be re-evaluated is the 2019 Ford Ranger with others to follow. View full article
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Subaru's first plug-in hybrid is just around the corner. The 2019 Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid is expected to debut later this month at the LA Auto Show. As we reported back in February, Subaru would be using the electric powertrain from Toyota's Prius Prime, teamed with one of their boxer engines. We now have some new details on the Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid via a California Air Resources Board (CARB) filing. Autoblog obtained the document which reveals that the Crosstrek PHEV will utilize a 2.0L boxer-four engine (most likely the same engine found in standard Crosstrek). The document also lists an electric range at 25.650 miles based on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule - replicates city driving conditions. That's very similar to the Toyota Prius Prime when it is put into EV mode. But this also prompts some questions. Is the Crosstrek PHEV using a larger battery than the Prius Prime? We would think the added weight of the all-wheel-drive system would bring the range down. Also, is the electric motor providing power to all four wheels or just to one of the axles? Hopefully, we'll some get answers in the near future. View full article -
Subaru's first plug-in hybrid is just around the corner. The 2019 Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid is expected to debut later this month at the LA Auto Show. As we reported back in February, Subaru would be using the electric powertrain from Toyota's Prius Prime, teamed with one of their boxer engines. We now have some new details on the Crosstrek Plug-In Hybrid via a California Air Resources Board (CARB) filing. Autoblog obtained the document which reveals that the Crosstrek PHEV will utilize a 2.0L boxer-four engine (most likely the same engine found in standard Crosstrek). The document also lists an electric range at 25.650 miles based on the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule - replicates city driving conditions. That's very similar to the Toyota Prius Prime when it is put into EV mode. But this also prompts some questions. Is the Crosstrek PHEV using a larger battery than the Prius Prime? We would think the added weight of the all-wheel-drive system would bring the range down. Also, is the electric motor providing power to all four wheels or just to one of the axles? Hopefully, we'll some get answers in the near future. -
On Friday, California regulators voted to require that automakers stick with the Obama-era emission regulations for vehicles sold in the state, no matter the efforts of the Trump administration to weaken the standards. This basically means vehicles built for through 2025 model year comply with the state’s standards and can legally be sold there. Beginning with the 2026 model year, vehicles have to meet the stricter standards if automakers want to sell vehicles in the state, along with the 12 other states and Washington D.C. that follow these regulations. This is the latest salvo in the fight between California and Trump administration over emission standards. Back in August, the administration unveiled a new proposal that would freeze fuel efficiency requirements at 2020 levels through 2026. This proposal earned a large amount of criticism and a lawsuit filed by a group of states led by California. In a statement, California Air Resources Board's Chair Mary Nichols said the state would “continue to work to keep a single national program,” but that the vote “ensures that California and 12 other states will not fall victim to the Trump administration’s rollback of vehicle standards should its proposal be finalized.” Source: Reuters -
On Friday, California regulators voted to require that automakers stick with the Obama-era emission regulations for vehicles sold in the state, no matter the efforts of the Trump administration to weaken the standards. This basically means vehicles built for through 2025 model year comply with the state’s standards and can legally be sold there. Beginning with the 2026 model year, vehicles have to meet the stricter standards if automakers want to sell vehicles in the state, along with the 12 other states and Washington D.C. that follow these regulations. This is the latest salvo in the fight between California and Trump administration over emission standards. Back in August, the administration unveiled a new proposal that would freeze fuel efficiency requirements at 2020 levels through 2026. This proposal earned a large amount of criticism and a lawsuit filed by a group of states led by California. In a statement, California Air Resources Board's Chair Mary Nichols said the state would “continue to work to keep a single national program,” but that the vote “ensures that California and 12 other states will not fall victim to the Trump administration’s rollback of vehicle standards should its proposal be finalized.” Source: Reuters View full article
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Another Step Closer: Mazda CX-5 Diesel Gets California Approval
William Maley posted an article in Mazda
Remember how Mazda planned on launching the diesel option for the CX-5 in the second half of last year. Nothing came of that and we were left scratching our heads as to why. Was the engine in limbo with the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board? Had Mazda decided to throw in the towel? It seems to be the former. Green Car Reports obtained an engine certification document from CARB dated April 13th approving Mazda's diesel engine. Getting this certification in California after the mess that was the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal is quite impressive and will likely make it easier to get through the EPA certification. A Mazda spokeswoman confirmed to Green Car Reports that the diesel still needs to go through EPA certification, and said the company would not speculate when that might happen. Source: Green Car Reports-
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Remember how Mazda planned on launching the diesel option for the CX-5 in the second half of last year. Nothing came of that and we were left scratching our heads as to why. Was the engine in limbo with the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board? Had Mazda decided to throw in the towel? It seems to be the former. Green Car Reports obtained an engine certification document from CARB dated April 13th approving Mazda's diesel engine. Getting this certification in California after the mess that was the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal is quite impressive and will likely make it easier to get through the EPA certification. A Mazda spokeswoman confirmed to Green Car Reports that the diesel still needs to go through EPA certification, and said the company would not speculate when that might happen. Source: Green Car Reports View full article
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Over a week ago, we brought you news that the upcoming Buick Regal GS would be powered by a V6 engine. We now have confirmation about this thanks to a document from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Truth About Cars obtained a CARB Emissions document for the 3.6L V6. On the last page, the document lists all of the models that will be equipped with this engine for the 2018 model year. One of them listed was a Buick Regal and it is believed to be the GS. The document also reveals the GS will only come with an automatic (a nine-speed). We still don't know how much horsepower the Regal GS will be packing. The 3.6L V6 offers between 305 to 335 horsepower depending on the model. We also learned what the Regal GS could look like. China Car News got their hands on photos showing off the Chinese-spec Regal GS that will be debuting this week at the Shanghai Auto Show. It looks to be featuring a more aggressive body kit, uniquely styled five-spoke wheels, and GS badging. It should be noted the Regal in the pictures is the sedan variant and that it will come powered by a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder. Source: The Truth About Cars, Car News China View full article
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Over a week ago, we brought you news that the upcoming Buick Regal GS would be powered by a V6 engine. We now have confirmation about this thanks to a document from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The Truth About Cars obtained a CARB Emissions document for the 3.6L V6. On the last page, the document lists all of the models that will be equipped with this engine for the 2018 model year. One of them listed was a Buick Regal and it is believed to be the GS. The document also reveals the GS will only come with an automatic (a nine-speed). We still don't know how much horsepower the Regal GS will be packing. The 3.6L V6 offers between 305 to 335 horsepower depending on the model. We also learned what the Regal GS could look like. China Car News got their hands on photos showing off the Chinese-spec Regal GS that will be debuting this week at the Shanghai Auto Show. It looks to be featuring a more aggressive body kit, uniquely styled five-spoke wheels, and GS badging. It should be noted the Regal in the pictures is the sedan variant and that it will come powered by a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder. Source: The Truth About Cars, Car News China -
It was nearly two years ago that we learned that General Motors trademarked 'Regal Tourx'. At the time, we speculated this could mean the next-generation Regal would have a wagon variant - possibly something along the lines of the Audi A4 Allroad and Subaru Outback. Since then, we have been hearing rumors and various reports saying that the Regal wagon is coming - the most recent one coming this week. Now we have more evidence thanks to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Motor1 got their hands on an emission certificate listing a number of General Motors vehicles equipped with the 2.0L turbo-four. In this list, we see the Regal, Regal AWD, and Regal Tour X AWD. This list also reveals the Regal will get an eight-speed automatic, while AWD models get either an eight or nine-speed automatic. Sadly, this document doesn't provide any information on power figures. The turbo 2.0L comes has a wide range of outputs from 250 horsepower (Chevrolet Malibu) to 272 horsepower (Chevrolet Camaro). We don't have to wait long for answers as Buick will be debuting the Regal on April 4th, a week before New York. Source: Motor1 -
Buick News: CARB Certificate Reveals Existance of Regal Tour X
William Maley posted a topic in Buick
It was nearly two years ago that we learned that General Motors trademarked 'Regal Tourx'. At the time, we speculated this could mean the next-generation Regal would have a wagon variant - possibly something along the lines of the Audi A4 Allroad and Subaru Outback. Since then, we have been hearing rumors and various reports saying that the Regal wagon is coming - the most recent one coming this week. Now we have more evidence thanks to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Motor1 got their hands on an emission certificate listing a number of General Motors vehicles equipped with the 2.0L turbo-four. In this list, we see the Regal, Regal AWD, and Regal Tour X AWD. This list also reveals the Regal will get an eight-speed automatic, while AWD models get either an eight or nine-speed automatic. Sadly, this document doesn't provide any information on power figures. The turbo 2.0L comes has a wide range of outputs from 250 horsepower (Chevrolet Malibu) to 272 horsepower (Chevrolet Camaro). We don't have to wait long for answers as Buick will be debuting the Regal on April 4th, a week before New York. Source: Motor1 View full article -
As the Diesel Emits: CARB Alleges Another Cheat Device In Audi Vehicles
William Maley posted an article in Audi
If you thought this tangled web of deceit and lies that is the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal could not go any further, then you would be wrong. German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found illegal software on certain Audi models that would reduce CO2 emissions during lab tests. The software monitored the position of the steering wheel and would activate a special program in the automatic transmission if the wheel didn't move more than 15 degrees - signifying it was in the lab. CARB technicians, taking the lessons of the Volkswagen investigation, began turning the wheel during the lab test to simulate being driven on the road, thus revealing the cheat. Bild doesn't say where they got this information from. but the Wall Street Journal was able to confirm this through two sources, saying this was discovered four months back. Another source revealed this cheat was discussed between Audi, Volkswagen, and CARB officials "some months ago". What makes this cheat different than the one used on the 2.0L and 3.0L TDI engines is that this software was used on vehicles running gas or diesel. The transmission in question (known internally as AL 551) was used in a number of Audi vehicles such as the A6, A8, and Q5. Reuters says the software in question was used until May 2016, before CARB discovered it in an older Audi model. This defeat device was also mentioned during an annual test drive of new vehicles in South Africa, known as 'Summer Drive" back in February 2013. Minutes of a meeting during the drive obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveals that Axel Eiser, the head of Audi’s powertrain division saying, The shifting program needs to be configured so that it runs at 100% on the treadmill but only 0.01% with the customer.” These new allegations could put Audi and Volkswagen into a tougher spot in the U.S. Stay tuned. Source: Bild am Sonntag, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) -
If you thought this tangled web of deceit and lies that is the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal could not go any further, then you would be wrong. German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag reports that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found illegal software on certain Audi models that would reduce CO2 emissions during lab tests. The software monitored the position of the steering wheel and would activate a special program in the automatic transmission if the wheel didn't move more than 15 degrees - signifying it was in the lab. CARB technicians, taking the lessons of the Volkswagen investigation, began turning the wheel during the lab test to simulate being driven on the road, thus revealing the cheat. Bild doesn't say where they got this information from. but the Wall Street Journal was able to confirm this through two sources, saying this was discovered four months back. Another source revealed this cheat was discussed between Audi, Volkswagen, and CARB officials "some months ago". What makes this cheat different than the one used on the 2.0L and 3.0L TDI engines is that this software was used on vehicles running gas or diesel. The transmission in question (known internally as AL 551) was used in a number of Audi vehicles such as the A6, A8, and Q5. Reuters says the software in question was used until May 2016, before CARB discovered it in an older Audi model. This defeat device was also mentioned during an annual test drive of new vehicles in South Africa, known as 'Summer Drive" back in February 2013. Minutes of a meeting during the drive obtained by the Wall Street Journal reveals that Axel Eiser, the head of Audi’s powertrain division saying, The shifting program needs to be configured so that it runs at 100% on the treadmill but only 0.01% with the customer.” These new allegations could put Audi and Volkswagen into a tougher spot in the U.S. Stay tuned. Source: Bild am Sonntag, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article
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One of the stumbling blocks for Volkswagen with the diesel emission scandal has been trying to find a fix that the feds would agree to. Previous attempts for the 2.0 and 3.0L TDI have ended with rejection from the California Air Resources Board due to the "submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration." But it seems progress is being made on this. In an interview with Reuters, CARB's head Mary Nichols said they are working with Volkswagen on testing potential fixes for the three generations of the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder engine. “They brought in a whole new team of people to work on various aspects of this. There’s just a greater sense that we’re dealing with people who have access to the decision makers in Germany, and who understand their credibility is on the line," said Nichols. The potential fixes must improve emissions by 80 to 90 percent of federal pollution standards. This seems odd since regulators wanted Volkswagen to get the vehicles fully meeting standards, but they are willing to give the company some breathing room as Volkswagen will be paying $2.7 billion to reduce the excess NOx emissions spewing from their vehicles. Getting a fix approved could be Volkswagen's saving grace as they could offer owners the choice of either having their vehicles bought back or having them fixed, which in turn could lessen the hurt of buying back all of the affected vehicles. Whether this pans out remains to be seen. Source: Reuters View full article
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One of the stumbling blocks for Volkswagen with the diesel emission scandal has been trying to find a fix that the feds would agree to. Previous attempts for the 2.0 and 3.0L TDI have ended with rejection from the California Air Resources Board due to the "submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration." But it seems progress is being made on this. In an interview with Reuters, CARB's head Mary Nichols said they are working with Volkswagen on testing potential fixes for the three generations of the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder engine. “They brought in a whole new team of people to work on various aspects of this. There’s just a greater sense that we’re dealing with people who have access to the decision makers in Germany, and who understand their credibility is on the line," said Nichols. The potential fixes must improve emissions by 80 to 90 percent of federal pollution standards. This seems odd since regulators wanted Volkswagen to get the vehicles fully meeting standards, but they are willing to give the company some breathing room as Volkswagen will be paying $2.7 billion to reduce the excess NOx emissions spewing from their vehicles. Getting a fix approved could be Volkswagen's saving grace as they could offer owners the choice of either having their vehicles bought back or having them fixed, which in turn could lessen the hurt of buying back all of the affected vehicles. Whether this pans out remains to be seen. Source: Reuters -
The EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and California Air Resources Board have released their draft Technical Assessment Report on the 'Midterm Evaluation of Light-duty Vehicle GHG Emissions Standards for Model Years 2022-2025'. Despite the long name, this report is important as the results will help determine if the 54.5 mpg corporate average fuel economy target for 2025 needs to be adjusted or not. Let's begin with the good news. The report says the industry is “adopting fuel economy technologies at unprecedented rates.” Automakers and suppliers have been hard at work on developing new technologies to improve overall fuel economy and emissions. The report goes on to say with the improvements being made on gas engines, automakers will not need to rely as heavily on electric or hybrid vehicles. Now for the bad news. According to Automotive News, government officals have taken the 54.5 mpg goal off the table. Low gas prices and the high demand for trucks, SUVs, and crossovers have caused officals to rethink the goal. The government now belives the fleet average for mpgs will land between 50 and 52.6 by 2025. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), EPA View full article
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The EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and California Air Resources Board have released their draft Technical Assessment Report on the 'Midterm Evaluation of Light-duty Vehicle GHG Emissions Standards for Model Years 2022-2025'. Despite the long name, this report is important as the results will help determine if the 54.5 mpg corporate average fuel economy target for 2025 needs to be adjusted or not. Let's begin with the good news. The report says the industry is “adopting fuel economy technologies at unprecedented rates.” Automakers and suppliers have been hard at work on developing new technologies to improve overall fuel economy and emissions. The report goes on to say with the improvements being made on gas engines, automakers will not need to rely as heavily on electric or hybrid vehicles. Now for the bad news. According to Automotive News, government officals have taken the 54.5 mpg goal off the table. Low gas prices and the high demand for trucks, SUVs, and crossovers have caused officals to rethink the goal. The government now belives the fleet average for mpgs will land between 50 and 52.6 by 2025. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), EPA -
As the Diesel Emits: California Says No To Volkswagen's 3.0L V6 Fix
William Maley posted an article in Volkswagen
The California Air Resources Board has rejected Volkswagen's plan to fix the 3.0L TDI V6. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB wrote in a letter to the German automaker. This comes as a bit of a surprise as last month, Volkswagen's lawyer Robert Giuffra said the company was close to a fix for this engine and it wouldn't affect overall performance. Volkswagen apparently did not learn its lesson when its proposed fix for the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder was rejected by CARB earlier this year for the same reasons. Complicating matters further is CARB saying that certain test data would not be available until December. They need this data to help make a determination if a fix would work for the all of the affected models or if Volkswagen needs to set up a buyback program similar to the one for the 2.0 TDI. Source: Reuters, California Air Resources Board -
The California Air Resources Board has rejected Volkswagen's plan to fix the 3.0L TDI V6. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB wrote in a letter to the German automaker. This comes as a bit of a surprise as last month, Volkswagen's lawyer Robert Giuffra said the company was close to a fix for this engine and it wouldn't affect overall performance. Volkswagen apparently did not learn its lesson when its proposed fix for the 2.0L TDI four-cylinder was rejected by CARB earlier this year for the same reasons. Complicating matters further is CARB saying that certain test data would not be available until December. They need this data to help make a determination if a fix would work for the all of the affected models or if Volkswagen needs to set up a buyback program similar to the one for the 2.0 TDI. Source: Reuters, California Air Resources Board View full article
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The past couple days have been crazy at Mitsubishi with executives possibly stepping down, the EPA ordering retest of vehicles, and the U.S. branch telling dealers there are no inconsistencies in the tests for the U.S. models. Let's get you up to date. On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) requested details from Mitsubishi on its U.S. vehicle lineup to check for discrepancies. The EPA also requested Mitsubishi to retest their U.S. lineup. A day later, Japanese media reported that Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko and COO Tetsuro Aikawa would resign due to manipulation of fuel economy data. According to Reuters, Aikawa denied these reports. "It's my responsibility and my mission to put the company on track to recovery. Beyond that, I haven't had a chance to even consider" the possibility of resigning, Aikawa said. Reuters also reports that Mitsubishi Motors could be on the hook for almost $1 billion to compensate owners, pay back tax rebates from the government, and other payments. This is according to analysts at Nomura Holdings. Yesterday, Mitsubishi Motors North America said they found no testing problems with vehicles sold in the U.S. between 2013 to now. “Our findings confirm that fuel economy testing data for these U.S. market vehicles is accurate and complies with established EPA procedures,” Don Swearingen, COO of Mitsubishi Motors North America told dealers in a letter to dealers. The letter was obtained by Automotive News. Source: Reuters via Automotive News, Reuters, Automotive News (Subscription Required), Mitsubishi Press Release is on Page 2 Mitsubishi Motors North America Statement Regarding Fuel Consumption Testing Data April 27, 2016 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Tokyo recently announced irregularities concerning fuel consumption testing data. To confirm that U.S. market vehicles are not affected by this issue, Mitsubishi Motors R&D America, Inc., working together with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, proactively conducted an internal audit of U.S. market vehicles going back several model years to check previously submitted data to the EPA. After a thorough review of all 2013MY – 2017MY vehicles sold in the United States, we have determined that none of these vehicles are affected. Our findings confirm that fuel economy testing data for these U.S. market vehicles is accurate and complies with established EPA procedures. An entirely different system is used for the United States market to determine what the EPA calls Road Load Coefficient, strictly adhering to EPA procedures. The data generated is then independently verified for its accuracy before being submitted to the EPA for their fuel economy testing. MMNA has shared this information with EPA, California Air Resources Board and DOT. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has acted quickly to address this issue and is putting in place a committee of external experts to thoroughly and objectively continue this investigation. The results of the investigation, once completed, will be made public. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is also working closely with the Japanese Government to fully review the implications of this issue, and to discuss potential resolutions. View full article
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Mitsubishi and the Past Few Days it Would Like to Forget
William Maley posted an article in Mitsubishi
The past couple days have been crazy at Mitsubishi with executives possibly stepping down, the EPA ordering retest of vehicles, and the U.S. branch telling dealers there are no inconsistencies in the tests for the U.S. models. Let's get you up to date. On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) requested details from Mitsubishi on its U.S. vehicle lineup to check for discrepancies. The EPA also requested Mitsubishi to retest their U.S. lineup. A day later, Japanese media reported that Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko and COO Tetsuro Aikawa would resign due to manipulation of fuel economy data. According to Reuters, Aikawa denied these reports. "It's my responsibility and my mission to put the company on track to recovery. Beyond that, I haven't had a chance to even consider" the possibility of resigning, Aikawa said. Reuters also reports that Mitsubishi Motors could be on the hook for almost $1 billion to compensate owners, pay back tax rebates from the government, and other payments. This is according to analysts at Nomura Holdings. Yesterday, Mitsubishi Motors North America said they found no testing problems with vehicles sold in the U.S. between 2013 to now. “Our findings confirm that fuel economy testing data for these U.S. market vehicles is accurate and complies with established EPA procedures,” Don Swearingen, COO of Mitsubishi Motors North America told dealers in a letter to dealers. The letter was obtained by Automotive News. Source: Reuters via Automotive News, Reuters, Automotive News (Subscription Required), Mitsubishi Press Release is on Page 2 Mitsubishi Motors North America Statement Regarding Fuel Consumption Testing Data April 27, 2016 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in Tokyo recently announced irregularities concerning fuel consumption testing data. To confirm that U.S. market vehicles are not affected by this issue, Mitsubishi Motors R&D America, Inc., working together with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, proactively conducted an internal audit of U.S. market vehicles going back several model years to check previously submitted data to the EPA. After a thorough review of all 2013MY – 2017MY vehicles sold in the United States, we have determined that none of these vehicles are affected. Our findings confirm that fuel economy testing data for these U.S. market vehicles is accurate and complies with established EPA procedures. An entirely different system is used for the United States market to determine what the EPA calls Road Load Coefficient, strictly adhering to EPA procedures. The data generated is then independently verified for its accuracy before being submitted to the EPA for their fuel economy testing. MMNA has shared this information with EPA, California Air Resources Board and DOT. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has acted quickly to address this issue and is putting in place a committee of external experts to thoroughly and objectively continue this investigation. The results of the investigation, once completed, will be made public. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is also working closely with the Japanese Government to fully review the implications of this issue, and to discuss potential resolutions. -
The big stumbling block for Volkswagen and the EPA/California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been trying to figure out a fix for diesel vehicles with illegal software. Ever since CARB rejected Volkswagen's first proposal back in January, the three have been in negotiations. But now, an official from CARB says some vehicles may only get a partial fix. Speaking at a legislative hearing in California yesterday, chief of the California Air Resources Board enforcement division Todd Sax said it might not be possible for Volkswagen to provide a compliant fix for all of the affected models. "Our goal has been to fix the vehicles and return them to their certified configuration as expeditiously as possible. Unfortunately, this may not be possible," said Sax. He believes there isn't a fix that could comply with either emission standards or onboard diagnostic requirements. "We will have to decide what the best approach is to dealing with these vehicles, and one of the options potentially would be to accept something less than a full fix," explained Sax. Newer TDI models use AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid to clean up emission and it is expected a software update will bring them into compliance. Older TDI models feature lean NOx traps (LNTs) to clean up emissions. These models need extensive modifications to bring them into compliance which could cost Volkswagen a lot of money. Sax was quick to point out that a compromise hasn't been agreed on and all of the parties are still in discussions. But if this option was taken, Volkswagen would need to pay penalties to mitigate the harm caused by leaving these vehicles on the road. Source: Reuters
