Germany Orders New Tests of Daimler Diesel Emissions

Germany’s transport ministry says it has found no evidence to date that Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit rigged diesels to evade emission limits but is ordering a new round of tests anyway.

The evaluations will be handled by KBA, the country’s Federal Motor Transport Authority. Earlier today Der Spiegel reported that the agency believes Mercedes used illegal software that enabled some of its diesels to emit far greater amounts of nitrogen oxides than allowed by EU standards.

The newspaper says the ministry is targeting Daimler’s “OM651” 4-cylinder and “OM642” V-6 diesels installed in multiple 2008-2016 model Mercedes cars. Earlier this week the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the issue could affect more than 1 million diesels sold in Europe and the U.S.

KBA’s probe is expected to center on software that is permitted under EU regulations to ease NOx emission restrictions as necessary to protect the engine. European regulators say some carmakers have abused the allowance by adjusting control software to switch off NOx controls under normal operating conditions.