Dieselgate: Other Brands Are Affected

It seems that the discovery of VW’s cheating program that limited pollution emissions during the EPA’s lab tests was only the tip of the iceberg; according to reports by Emission Analytics, four other manufacturers may have been trying to hide something…

• A couple of Mercedes-Benz’s Euro engines emitted 0.406 grams of NOx per kilometre, which is 2.2 times more than the Euro 5 norm and 6 times the newer, more stringent Euro 6 norm.
• Honda’s diesels supposedly output 0.484 grams of NOx per km, or 2.6 times the maximum Euro 5 limit (or 6 times the Euro 6 requirements).
• Mazda’s SKYACTIV diesels are also affected; while they are cleaner, they still emit 0.293 grams of NOx for each kilometre, 1.6 times the Euro 5 norm and 3.6 times the harsher Euro 6 norm.
• A few Mitsubishis are also being investigated, emitting up to 3.4 times the maximum NOx amount.

According to the Guardian, Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Citroën, Fiat, Volvo and Jeep also sell diesel engines that may not be Euro 5 and Euro 6 compliant.

• Also: Volkswagen Supposedly Cheated On Its Emissions Tests
• Also: Dieselgate: 11 Million Vehicles Affected; Winterkorn Resigns

Volkswagen has been the first manufacturer to take the fall in this story, and while the latest development doesn’t excuse what they did, it shows that maybe we are looking at the problem the wrong way. Maybe the testing methods need to be changed…