Regulator to probe VW SA vehicles

[HAL 9000]

Volkswagen in South Africa is to be investigated by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, and the departments of environmental affairs and transport as the emissions scandal continues to affect the company’s global operation.

In South Africa the NRCS has not ruled out a recall of affected vehicles.

The regulator said: “With regard to the latest allegations of rigging of emissions tests made by the US Environment Protection Agency against VW cars in the US and Europe, NRCS will launch an investigation - working together with departments of environmental affairs and transport - to determine whether the South African vehicles are also affected.”

The NRCS said it would do a comparative study on models implicated against vehicles approved in South Africa to determine whether there had been any manipulation of pollution data.

“This will be followed by sampling and testing of emissions requirements against the relevant South African standard,”the NRCS said.

“If vehicles are found to be non-compliant, the NRCS will apply a sanctioning process, which will lead to recall of the relevant vehicles for correction.”

The regulator said it used a homologation process to ensure all vehicles complied with emissions standards before being sold locally. This involved an analysis of a sample vehicle against test reports provided by the manufacturer.

“NRCS can confirm that all VW cars have gone through the homologation process and complied.”

Already Volkswagen’s German head office has estimated 11 million vehicles, with type EA 189 engines, are affected globally.

Volkswagen SA has kept customers in the dark over whether they could be driving vehicles that are not the eco-friendly models they may have paid a premium for, as the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer spins from the impact of a pollution test rigging scandal.

Volkswagen SA this week declined to respond to questions, after 482 000 vehicles were recalled in the US where the company faces a maximum fine of $18 billion (R250 million) and a US Justice Department probe, with further investigations announced in Germany, France and South Korea.

VW SA spokesman Matt Genrich directed questions to the head office in Germany which did not answer questions about the impact on South Africa, but responded by saying the company was “working at full speed to clarify the irregularities concerning a particular software used in diesel engines”.

http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/cars/...o-probe-vw-sa-vehicles-1.1920874#.VgTw21UrJD8

 

[HAL 9000]

Will VWSA then be liable to pay in the government-stipulated 'Emissions Tax' penalties if the vehicles are found to be non-compliant, and have NOx / CO2 readings that are above the prescribed Euro5b & Euro6 emissions limits?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_emission_standards

 

[Sinbad]

LOL!!!!
There are no regulations in SA around nitrogen oxide emissions - which is what the "defeat device" manipulates.
None of our cars are euro 5 or 6 anyway, our fuel is too shyte.

 

[c3n0byt3]

We do not have vehicle emissions standards, particularly for NOx. Our fuels don't even comply to new Euro standards, so the vehicles wouldn't comply anyways.
There are local by-laws but that relates to particulates only.
Even if we did have standards there have been major enforcement issues.
DOE is targeting fuels rather than the vehicles themselves, but this has been stalled for many years.
But DEA recognizes vehicles as emitters though don't specify emissions limits.
Both parties do not have capacity to issue any standard for vehicles.
DOT are currently clueless.

Edit: Oh Sinbad beat me to it!

But I think the issue locally would be the fact that these vehicles are sold at premium due to perceived eco-friendliness. That's the only line of argument here. CO2 does not enter the picture just yet. If the vehicles cannot hit their fuel economy specs then the CO2 ratings will be off. Which is strange since we all know that the fuel consumption ratings are inaccurate; and the CO2 emission rate is based on this. So either the rate should be inaccurate, or it is accurate but people don't bother to calculate it back to the actual fuel consumption numbers.

 

[satanboy]

LOL!!!!
There are no regulations in SA around nitrogen oxide emissions - which is what the "defeat device" manipulates.
None of our cars are euro 5 or 6 anyway, our fuel is too shyte.

This is what I thought.

 

[Sinbad]

This is what I thought.

Useless ****ing government spouting tripe in an attempt to pretend we're keeping up with the rest of the world

BANDWAGON HO!