VW Offers a Rationale for Diesel Cheating

Volkswagen AG says its engineers opted six years ago to install software to cheat U.S. emission tests after concluding it was “impossible” to meet the regulations otherwise and still meet budget and timing deadlines.

The company says its internal investigation turned up three contributing factors in the resulting scandal: misconduct by some employees, inadequate processes that failed to define responsibility and a mindset that tolerated breaking rules.

VW blames its use of software that evaded nitrogen oxides emission tests on 11 million of its EA 189 diesel engines to a chain of errors. But it concedes the company failed to fully implement proper emission controls when they later became available.

VW notes it already has identified and gained regulatory approval in Germany for software updates and, in the case of  the 1.6-liter diesel, the addition of a simple device to enhance air flow into the engine. The same fixes are expected to be accepted across Europe.

The company says it will begin repairing the highest-volume variant in the EA 189 lineup, a 2.0-liter diesel, in January. It will then recall 1.2-liter engines in the second quarter of 2016. Updates to the 1.6-liter engines will commence in the third quarter. VW says the campaigns will continue at least through 2016 and include replacing vehicles if necessary.

A plan to meet more stringent U.S. emission limits is incomplete pending regulatory review. But VW indicates the 800,000 diesels targeted in that market may require more extensive modifications.