No Agreement from EPA on VW Cheater Diesel Fix

Volkswagen AG CEO Matthias Mueller came away from today’s meeting with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy with no agreement on how to fix 580,000 VW diesels rigged to cheat U.S. emission tests for nitrogen oxide.

The meeting, which was requested by VW, produced little except pledges on both sides to continue looking for a solution. Earlier this week EPA agreed with the California Air Resources Board that there will be “no easy and expeditious” remedy to the carmaker’s problem.

VW initially suggested a software update to bring the engines into compliance. That approach was accepted last month in Europe, where the company sold 8.5 million vehicles with similar cheater devices on board. Europe’s NOx standards are less stringent than those in the U.S.

American regulations also require lengthy recertification tests of modifications to the engine’s control system. And they demand that VW document any adverse impact of engine adjustments on the vehicle’s performance.

Observers describe the tough stance by U.S. regulatory officials as a strong message to VW to take the aftermath of its wrongdoing more seriously, come up with a comprehensive solution and implement it quickly.