Audi Suspends Two Engineers Over 3-liter Diesel Scandal; Still Has No Idea How This Happened

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole
Audi has suspended two engineers for their involvement in helping Volkswagen’s larger 3-liter diesel engine pass emissions, according to Audi’s CEO. (Or you know, Volkswagen’s other, other emissions scandal.) The engine is used in the Porsche Cayenne and Audi’s range of sedans and crossovers.Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told German newspaper Donaukurier that two engineers were suspended Wednesday and that the company was learning about its engines along with the rest of us.“So I checked it several times: Is our six-cylinder clean? Do we have a (‘defeat device’)? And multiple statements in the board meeting were: no,” Stadler said about an October meeting with Audi’s top executives. In November, the California Air Resources Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notified Volkswagen — and its luxury brands Porsche and Audi — that a “temperature conditioning” mode in its 3-liter diesel engines was helping cheat those cars through emissions testing. The agencies said the mode constituted an illegal “defeat device,” which the automakers initially denied.This week, Audi acknowledged the mode and two other modes designed to control emissions weren’t disclosed to regulators and that the temperature conditioning mode was a defeat device.In all, roughly 85,000 cars are affected. Volkswagen issued a larger stop-sale this month for cars with the illegal software, which include the Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, and Audis A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 models.Stadler said he probably won’t listen to the guys who told him the engines were clean anymore, I guess.“This is the subject of current investigations. I want to know the truth,” he said. According to Reuters, the 3-liter diesel engine was built by Audi at its Neckarsulm facility.
Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Xtoyota Xtoyota on Nov 27, 2015

    In the end the mailroom clerk will be blamed for all the problems...CASE CLOSED

  • DrGastro997 DrGastro997 on Nov 29, 2015

    This is what happens when the higher office has close to zero involvement in both engineering and quality assurance/control. At least Akio Toyoda sits in many engineering meetings and involves himself in driving every single model Toyota makes, before it gets released into the mass market. It doesn't mean a 100% product but at least the emoloyees know who is actually the boss and to whom they will be reporting to.

  • Srd275 let’s see the officials help cause congestion by not improving infrastructure (mass transit doesn’t. Move goods or services and does not move commuters that well). Then charge a toll for the gridlock they created. tar and feather the tax and spend officials????
  • Golden2husky Glad it is on hold...it was a bad way to try to address the congestion issue.
  • Daniel J I was interested until it appears that this thing won't do 0-60 under 7 seconds. I get it, many folks don't need speed deamons, but c'mon. This thing is too slow for what they are asking for it. Mazda seems to be the only mainstream brand that seems to be trying when it comes to some performance in these larger suvs.
  • TheEndlessEnigma To answer the headline. No. I think a legal argument could be make that "congestion" pricing is nothing more than applying tolls to public roads with variable fees based on nothing more than Political Overlord whims and could, therefore, be considered unconstitutional as constraint of interstate trade and restricting movement of citizens.
  • Carsofchaos A lot of the congestion comes from what's been done to streets like 1st Avenue, which I drive on every day: This was once a four lane northbound avenue. Then a bus lane was created, so now we're down to 3 lanes. Then a seldom-used (other than at peak hours in the summer) bike lane was created, so now we're down to 2 lanes. Then you have delivery trucks who have lost their spot due to the bus/bike lanes, who now must double park to do deliveries. Now we're down to one lane. ONE. See the problem? Vacancy rates for office buildings still is at 30% (I know this because we are moving our office to a new location in Midtown and we were constantly seeing how many buildings had a plethora of empty office space), and Wokeul's congestion pricing would have made sure that number never gets better. And let's be honest, we all know the MTA would effff this up and still be broke anyway.
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