Category: News Type

German carmaker Audi misses deadlines for engine software updates: reports

BERLIN, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Volkswagen subsidiary Audi has missed several deadlines and even failed to “submit all necessary paperwork” for most of the affected diesel cars, the German business newspaper and broadcaster Bayerische Rundfunk reported on Tuesday.
Citing from a government response to a parliamentary inquire by Germany's Green Party, Handelsblatt and Bayerische Rundfunk reported that Audi was considerably behind schedule in removing software manipulations of Euro 6 and Euro 5 diesel vehicles.
According to the reports, Audi failed to provide application documents for many of Audi's car models and necessary software updates could not be approved by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Audi's A8 luxury sedan with a 4.2-liter Euro 6 engine is also affected. The KBA had ordered a recalled of the car about two years ago, after the Environmental Action Germany (DUH) had found the highest nitrogen oxide values it ever measured for a Euro 6 vehicle.
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Fiat to pull the 500 from North America market

Americans’ love for bigger vehicles is sending away another minicar — this time, the Fiat 500. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is ending production of the current-generation subcompact car and the 500e electrified version for the North American market, spokesman Bryan Zvibleman said Tuesday. They are produced in a plant in Toluca, Mexico, which also makes the… Continue reading Fiat to pull the 500 from North America market

UAW will negotiate first contract with GM

The United Auto Workers will negotiate a new contract first with General Motors Co. over the next week and a half after membership at all three Detroit automakers overwhelmingly approved strikes, if necessary. The automakers have been negotiating with the UAW for a month and a half. The announcement Tuesday that GM will be the… Continue reading UAW will negotiate first contract with GM

Ford finds buyer for Brazil plant, but new owner could cut 1,300 jobs

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian automaker CAOA reached an initial agreement to buy Ford Motor Co’s plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the companies said on Tuesday, but CAOA could slash 1,300 jobs, according to the union representing the plant’s workers. Logos of car manufacturers Caoa Chery and Ford are seen in front of dealerships… Continue reading Ford finds buyer for Brazil plant, but new owner could cut 1,300 jobs

Dealers deliver ‘marginal’ improvement in profits for July

Dealers’ used car performance remains “key” following a marginal improvement in profits for July, according to dealer profitability specialist ASE. Last year dealers saw losses of £1,600 for July but July 2019 saw a swing of just under £2,000 to bring dealers into profit. “The profitability improvement was once again driving by the contribution from… Continue reading Dealers deliver ‘marginal’ improvement in profits for July

Brazil automaker CAOA signs preliminary agreement to buy Ford plant

Logos of car manufacturers Caoa Chery and Ford are seen in front of dealerships of the companies in Sao Paulo, Brazil September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Rahel Patrasso SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian automaker CAOA has reached a preliminary agreement to buy Ford Motor Co’s plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, which the U.S. automaker will close… Continue reading Brazil automaker CAOA signs preliminary agreement to buy Ford plant

VW paying drivers $97M for overstating fuel economy, must forfeit emissions credits

In the shadow of the diesel scandal, and just before the official reveal of its first mass-market electric car next week, Volkswagen is facing yet another public reprimand: It’s being ordered by the EPA to revise its fuel economy estimates applying to about 98,000 vehicles.

And in a separate settlement coinciding with the Friday announcement (pending court approval), VW will pay drivers a total of $97 million—ranging from $5,40 to $24.30 for each month the affected vehicle is owned or leased.

2014 Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition

The issue, over a software routine that shifted the transmission in a more efficient manner than normal when it was being run in an emissions test, affects some of the most exclusive and expensive gasoline-powered vehicles in the Volkswagen Group, including 2013-2016 Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur models, the 2013-2016 Porsche Cayenne, as well as 2013-2016 Audi models that include the 4.0-liter V-8 or 6.3-liter W-12 engines. It also includes the 2013-2014 Volkswagen Touareg (VR6) and all-wheel-drive (4Motion) versions of the 2017 Tiguan crossover.

For under-reporting the numbers, VW is also being required by the EPA to forfeit its emission credits earned for federal light-vehicle greenhouse-gas standards, as it has understated greenhouse-gas emissions by about 220,000 metric tons. It works out to be about 1 mile per gallon across the affected vehicles.

The issue, as described by the EPA, sounds awfully familiar: “This software causes the transmission to shift gears during the EPA-prescribed emissions test in a manner that sometimes optimizes fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the test, but not under normal driving conditions.”

In Volkswagen’s diesel scandal, “defeat device” engine software controls were using a set of variables to determine when a vehicle was being run in an emissions test; in some situations when it wasn’t, the software allowed relaxed emissions controls permitting many times higher NOx emissions.

2014 Volkswagen Touareg R-Line

The new round of ordered adjustments don’t have anything to do with diesel. And owners of the affected vehicles should note that the they're well within allowed emissions in either of its modes of transmission operation.

The EPA is working with the Department of Energy to update values for the affected vehicles at FuelEconomy.gov, and changes will be made by September 6, 2019.

See below for the chart of adjustments by model, as published by the U.S. EPA:

Brand
MY
Model
Engine
Transmission
Old Label Values
New Label Values
Combined
City
Highway
Combined
City
Highway
Audi
2013
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
16
13
21
15
13
20
S8
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
15
26
18
15
26
Audi
2014
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
16
13
21
15
13
20
RS7
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
16
27
19
15
27
S8
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
15
26
18
15
26
Audi
2015
A8L
4.0L
Auto(S8)
22
18
29
21
18
29
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
17
14
22
16
13
22
RS7
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
25
18
14
25
S8
4.0L
Auto(S8)
20
17
27
20
16
27
Audi
2016
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
17
14
22
16
13
22
RS7
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
25
18
14
25
S8
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25

Bentley

2013
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
24
18
14
24
Continental GTC
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
13
24
Bentley
2014
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
24
18
14
24
Continental GTC
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
14
23
Flying Spur
6.0L W12
Auto(S8)
15
12
20
14
12
20
Bentley
2015 – 2016
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25
Continental GT Convertible
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
16
13
23
Flying Spur
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
13
24
6.0L W12
Auto(S8)
15
12
20
14
12
20
Bentley
2017
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25
Continental GT Convertible
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
16
13
23
Porsche
2013
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
19
17
23
19
16
23
Cayenne GTS
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
21
16
14
20
Cayenne S
4.8
Auto(S8)
18
16
22
18
15
22
Cayenne Turbo
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
22
17
14
21
Porsche
2014
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
23
19
17
23
Cayenne GTS
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
21
16
14
20
Cayenne S
4.8
Auto(S8)
18
16
22
18
15
22
Cayenne Turbo
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
22
17
14
21
Cayenne Turbo S
4.8
Auto(S8)
16
14
20
15
13
20
Porsche
2015
Cayenne S
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
24
19
16
24
Porsche
2016
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
21
19
24
20
17
24
Cayenne GTS
3.6
Auto(S8)
19
16
23
18
16
23
Cayenne S
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
24
19
16
24
Cayenne Turbo S
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
14
21
16
14
21
Volkswagen
2013 – 2014
Touareg
3.6L VR6 FSI
Auto(S8)
19
17
23
19
16
23
Volkswagen
2017
Tiguan 4MOTION
2.0L TFSI
Auto(S6)
21
20
24
21
20
23

The UK milestones for a driverless future

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