Audi in the spotlight over emissions

Audi's top-selling model released excessive toxic diesel emissions in results from lab tests run by the European Commission and seen by Reuters, raising suspicions of wrongdoing at Volkswagen's luxury division. The results threaten to embroil Audi in the scandal that has engulfed the company since it admitted cheating US emissions tests with software to mask nitrogen oxides (NOx). The lab tests run by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC) in August showed the latest Euro 6 diesel gener
December 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
2125 Audi's top-selling model released excessive toxic diesel emissions in results from lab tests run by the European Commission and seen by Reuters, raising suspicions of wrongdoing at 994 Volkswagen's luxury division.

The results threaten to embroil Audi in the scandal that has engulfed the company since it admitted cheating US emissions tests with software to mask nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The lab tests run by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC) in August showed the latest Euro 6 diesel generation A3 emitted 163 milligrams of nitrogen oxides  per kilometre, double the statutory 80mg cap.

A separate lab-based test showed the A3 emitting 140mg of NOx at an engine temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, but emissions were below 80mg when the car was run with a cold engine.

"The differences between cold start and hot start are hard to explain," said Bas Eikhout, a lawmaker on the European Parliament's inquiry committee into the VW scandal.

Audi dismissed the results, saying the level of 163 milligrams was inflated by erroneous measurements on behalf of the JRC. Key parameters such as the state of the catalytic converter systems of the tested vehicles remain unclear, a spokesman said by email.

Other tests in Britain and Germany have shown the A3 compact, which topped the brand's sales rankings this year ahead of the A4 and A6 models, is complying with legal limits, he said.

EU regulators depend on the JRC's work to help to shape policy, but member states are responsible for policing their car industries.

A Commission spokeswoman said that the JRC's results were still preliminary. "If the test results raise some suspicion of wrongdoing, such as the installation of prohibited defeat devices, they will be shared with all relevant approval authorities," she said.

Germany's KBA motor vehicle authority declined to comment.
Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Clean diesel projects ‘best choice for use of VW settlement’
    February 13, 2017
    Clean diesel technology is the best choice for mitigating NOx emissions in the US as part of the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust, according to the non-profit education association Diesel Technology Forum. In a presentation at the 2017 Energy Policy Outlook Conference hosted by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), Ezra Finkin, the policy director for the Forum, highlighted why clean diesel technology is the best and most cost-effective choice for the immediate mitigation
    Read More
  • London’s strategy to tackle air quality problems
    October 21, 2014
    Colin Sowman talks to Matthew Pencharz, the man charged with charting London’s path between catering for traveller needs, conserving ancient buildings and conforming to modern air quality standards.
    Read More
  • Audi and TTTech partner on key-enabling technologies for the piloted car
    January 9, 2014
    Auto manufacturer Audi has partnered with TTech, Austrian network solutions provider, to introduce key-enabling technologies for the piloted car, which the companies say will result in a highly integrated platform ECU named zFAS, which is based on a complex multicore network, hosting sophisticated sensor fusion and a variety of innovative functions such as piloted parking or driving. "Our goal is leadership in piloted parking and piloted driving. For this purpose TTTech and Audi are developing a highly a
    Read More
  • Emissions ‘rising too high despite the reduction targets’
    December 4, 2015
    An analysis by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland of the emission targets from 159 countries indicates that, although nearly all the world’s countries have announced targets for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, more ambitious emission reductions are needed in order to limit global warming to two degrees. In addition, developing countries have recently joined the effort to slow down climate change by setting targets for reducing emissions. However, despite those targets, VTT says emissi
    Read More

Highlighted Content