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24-Sep-2015 12:58:00 - DAIMLER DAIGn.DE SAYS DOES NOT USE DEFEAT DEVICES

Daimler says does not use defeat devices - RTRS

24-SEP-2015 13:09:35

STUTTGART, Sept 24 (Reuters) - German carmaker Daimler DAIGn.DE said it did not manipulate emissions data for diesel engines, after Volkswagen VOWG_p.DE admitted to having deceived U.S. regulators about how much its diesel cars pollute. (Full Story)

A spokesman for Daimler said on Thursday the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars did not use so-called defeat devices employed by Volkswagen and complied with rules on nitrogen oxide emissions around the world.

German trade magazine Auto Bild earlier reported fellow carmaker BMW's BMWG.DE BMW X3 xDrive 20d exceeded the Euro 6 limits on nitrogen oxide emissions more than 11-fold in road tests by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), sending shares in BMW and Daimler lower.

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- Victor Franco, PhD from the Jaume I, has participated in the investigation that has led the US to uncover fraud

- Ensures that the problem of harmful emissions of diesel in Europe 'is very serious' by the more lax legislation

Vicente Franco, industrial engineer and PhD from the Universitat Jaume I (UJI), has participated in the research conducted by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) that produced the report that led to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) United States to discover that Volkswagen had installed special software for "tweaking" emissions in some of its diesel cars. As reported by the academic institution in a statement, the situation has led to the German company to recognize that he had acted "dishonestly" and announce the reservation of paras 7.300 million to cover the costs of repairing a problem affecting 11 million vehicles worldwide. These fees would be in addition to fines of up to 18,000 million dollars that could be faced. Vicente Franco, after finishing his doctoral work at the research center of the European Commission in Ispra (Italy), directed by Professor of Engineering and head of the Design Engineering Group UJI Sari Vidal joined in 2013 the research team of the ICCT in Europe, where he works in its headquarters in Berlin. Former student at UJI explains that the "scandal" of Volkswagen has been uncovered following a study by the ICCT to investigate differences between emissions from diesel vehicles in the US and Europe. For this study, roadside emissions tests on three vehicles (two Volkswagen and BMW) in collaboration with the University of West Virginia were made. Discovering that emissions from vehicles Volkswagen exceeded "40 times" emission levels of nitrogen oxides (NOX) registered in the laboratory during testing shall Franco stressed that alerted the environmental control agencies and California United States, "which immediately launched an investigation which is what has now become public." Serious problem in Europe Parallel to this research, have implemented a European study "that analyzes more than 140 hours of on-road emissions data from 12 different vehicles, and shows that the problem of harmful emissions of diesel in Europe is very serious, and that urgent action from European authorities to remedy is necessary, "he explained Franco, responsible for directing the work of ICCT on the situation of emissions in road-art diesel cars in Europe. Doctorate at the UJI highlights the problem in Europe is that legislation on the emission of nitrogen oxides, gases that have been proven harmful to health, by diesel vehicles is "much looser than in the United States." "This is compounded by the fact that the percentage of diesel cars is much higher," he added. In the US, diesel vehicles account for 2% of total sales, and two out of three cars of this type are Volkswagen, so that after this controversy, "it is expected that the percentage still be reduced further," he noted the institution. However, in Europe, 53% of the cars sold are diesel, so the problem of emissions is "much higher." In this sense, Vicente Franco has lamented the "lack of an agency at European level comparable to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States powers" which was in this case taking the research that has uncovered the "bad practices "of Volkswagen.

its diesel vehicles in the US in the pillory. But trick other carmakers? As the trade magazine AUTO BILD for your current edition 39/2015 (EVT: 09/25/2015) learned exclusively, VW is not the only automaker whose cars produce The strangest nitric oxide levels. Even the BMW X3 xDrive 20d has (Euro 6 limit) exceeded in road tests of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) the European emission standard by more than 11 times. Thus, the car cuts still underperforming the criticized by the US EPA Umweltbehoerde VW Passat. "All measured data suggest that this is not a VW-specific issue," says Peter Mock the ICCT. In tests of his institute the VW vehicles had the Euro 6 limit for the toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) by an average of more than 22 times exceeded - determined the US Umweltbehoerde EPA.

"Whether other manufacturer except VW use a cheat software, remains to be seen," says AUTO BILD staff Benjamin Gehr.

A BMW spokesman commented on the request of AUTO BILD whether BMW at Pruefstandsmessungen other engine calibrations used than on the street, as follows: "There are at BMW no function for detecting exhaust cycles All exhaust systems remain active even outside the exhaust cycle.."

European authorities there have so far been no demands to the striking results of the NOx tests according ICCT experts Mock. Meanwhile, Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has instructed the Federal Motor Vehicle Office to check all VW diesel models. "Diesel vehicles from other manufacturers - or even on the other VW Group brands - but no mention was there," said Benjamin Gehr.