Topic: VW Is Said to Cheat on Diesel Emissions; U.S. Orders Big Recall

[knightstorm]

I'm kind of worried that this topic might tip over into H&S territory, but I thought the means through which VW allegedly cheated was interesting enough to warrant posting here.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/business/volkswagen-is-ordered-to-recall-nearly-500000-vehicles-over-emissions-software.html?_r=0

The Environmental Protection Agency accused the German automaker of using software to detect when the car is undergoing its periodic state emissions testing. Only during such tests are the cars’ full emissions control systems turned on. During normal driving situations, the controls are turned off, allowing the cars to spew as much as 40 times as much pollution as allowed under the Clean Air Act, the E.P.A. said.

[Javora]

Wow, this reminds me of the old video card wars in which one company or another would be accused of using software to pump up testing numbers.  I wonder if that's where they got the idea??!?  Would it be worse if it was discovered that VW reverse engineered some old video card software for this??!?
lol
 

[Brush Wolf]

They probably developed this to meet the EU standards and I don't think they are the only ones, one the first to be caught. The fallout from this will be interesting and it wouldn't surprise me if the other automakers aren't cheating with gas powered cars & trucks.