The Dieselgate affair gets more complicated with each day that passes. A new report suggests that cheating on emissions tests was not limited to the EA189 engine. According to three people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters, VW made several versions of its “defeat device” software to rig diesel emissions tests.
VW altered its illegal software for four engine types, said the sources, who include a VW manager with knowledge of the matter and a US official close to an investigation into the company. VW first installed the defeat device software in 2008 on the EA189 diesel engine and subsequently added it to the newer EA288 engine, with displacements of 1.6 and 2.0 liters.
“VW would have had to reconfigure the software for each generation of engines,” the US official close to an ongoing investigation into VW told Reuters.
According to a US-based expert on diesel engines and testing, the defeat device software also had to be altered when VW changed the emissions control system in its engines. That’s backed by VW of America CEO Michael Horn’s statement that the defeat device installed in European cars is different from the one fitted to US cars.
If the allegations are true, it means that a range of employees were involved, as software technicians would have needed regular funding and knowledge of engine programs.
The number of people involved matters a lot because it could affect the size of potential fines and the magnitude of management change at the company. VW has been criticized by some lawmakers and analysts for blaming a small number of people for the banned software installed in up to 11 million vehicles worldwide.
Note: 2015 VW Golf TDI pictured
PHOTO GALLERY
