VW is already defending itself against allegations of other illegal software – PRAVDA.sk

We have already informed that the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU accuses the VW Group of further manipulation of diesel engine emissions. The German carmaker has already responded.

Photo: JATO Dynamics

JATO Dynamics – issue 2019 The Volkswagen Group may be facing another legal battle over its diesel engines.

EU Court of Justice Advocate General Athanasios Rantos accuses Volkswagen of continuing to use software that allows diesel engines to emit more CO2 than allowed, even after the Dieselgate case. This is not the original software that turned off anti-emission systems in order to achieve lower consumption, higher performance, longer life or quieter operation and save AdBlue. It is supposed to be another engine control program, the so-called “thermal window”. This software restricts the operation of the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system when the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius or rises above 15 degrees Celsius.

Its activity is also limited if the vehicle is driven at an altitude of 1,000 meters. Although the “temperature window” only increases emissions under specific conditions and thus does not limit the operation of anti-emission systems in the vast majority of driving situations, Rantos considers it illegal. At the same time, the use of a “temperature window” is permitted, in situations where the engine could be damaged. However, Rantos argues that the “temperature window” is not protected by the engine itself, but only by its accessories, such as an EGR valve or a particulate filter, so that the German carmaker uses it illegally.

Volkswagen has a different opinion, because it sees the EGR valve not only as an engine accessory, but as a part of it. “According to the Advocate General, the use of a thermal window is justified if it is to prevent, for example, an EGR valve failure which has a sudden effect on the engine operation itself, without this consequence being possible to prevent regular maintenance,” the carmaker said in a statement. And it goes on to say that the purpose of a temperature window is really to prevent sudden and immediate risks of damage to the combustion unit. We’ll see how this legal verbal “shootout” ends. If Rantos finally succeeded, the “temperature window” could cause something like a second Dieselgate affair.

It does not have to be far from a disaster, because the Advocate General’s opinion is very important in the European judicial system, and if he submits a motion to the court, he will rarely rule against it. It is clear that Volkswagen no longer wants a lawsuit over diesel engines and cannot even afford to lose. It would be cheaper for him in such a case to definitively stop the production of diesel cars. And if the world’s second largest carmaker ends up in diesel, there will be a domino effect. However, this would eliminate politicians from the automotive industry the most efficient engines. It is diesel that is the most economical and therefore produces the least greenhouse gas emissions. And with the most modern ones, nitrogen oxides and particles are not a problem either.

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