Volkswagen Can Save 70,000 TDI Vehicles, If Their Owners Want It

by Steph Willems

Published: January 6th, 2017

volkswagen can save 70 000 tdi vehicles if their owners want it

Assuming owners of 2.0-liter diesel Volkswagens aren’t so pissed at the company that thoughts of cash extraction and corporate punishment fill their every waking hour, up to 70,000 of the little polluters could be spared.

After failing multiple times to whip up a fix for the emissions-rigged engines, VW has made a breakthrough with the U.S. government. That means owners of certain VW and Audi vehicles have a choice to make.

The automaker’s $16.5 billion settlement clearly spelled out owners of affected vehicles could sell their cars back to the company (and be handed an extra pile of cash for their troubles), or opt for a yet-undefined fix. Well, the Environmental Protection Agency has now approved a fix, Reuters reports.

Due to a change in engine design, only the newest models equipped with 2.0-liter diesels have a chance at a longer life. These include 2015 Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, and Passat models, as well as the 2015 Audi A3.

The approved fix is twofold. Owners opting to keep their diesels can go in for a minor software tweak right away, which should reduce emissions slightly. However, in about a year, a much larger fix should become available. Those modifications include both software and hardware updates, including the installation of a diesel particulate filter, diesel oxidation catalyst and NOx catalyst.

EPA claims the full fix won’t affect the vehicles’ “fuel economy, reliability, or durability.”

Under the settlement, 85 percent of the 475,000 affected vehicles must be off the road by June 2019, which makes the 70,000 figure a rosy theoretical ceiling. So far, the buyout option has proven popular, and with good reason. When else will an automaker pay pre-scandal value for a car, and hand you up to $10,000 as a gift?

#Buyback #Diesel #Volkswagen #VW #VwDieselScandal

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6 of 35 comments

FreedMike on Jan 06, 2017

"EPA claims the full fix won’t affect the vehicles’ “fuel economy, reliability, or durability.” Thanks, I needed a late-afternoon laugh. Know what? My Jetta with the 1.4T and a manual averages about 32 mpg in plodding-around-the-'burbs driving. If I mix in about 40-50% of that driving on the freeway, that goes to about 34-35 mpg. If the overwhelming majority of my driving was on the freeway, I'd be getting close to 40. So what, precisely, is the point of the diesel? Take the buyout and get a gas Jetta or Golf. You'll get a helluva deal on either one (Jetta in particular). What's the percentage in keeping the TDI on the "we'll fix it" promise given higher diesel prices? I don't see it.

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- Brettc on Jan 06, 2017
  
  For me, lifetime economy over 58405 miles is 35.3 MPG according to fuelly (2012 Sportwagen TDI with DSG). They've made some real progress on gas engine economy in the last 4-5 years. There really is no reason for diesel any longer unless you're hauling very heavy things. VW will sell all of their stop saled 2015 TDIs to diesel enthusiasts, but there's no reason to bring any more over.
  
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- Desertsoldier22 on Jan 08, 2017
  
  @brettc HCCI systems will boost diesel engines a further 25% in fuel econmoy and 30% in power in the next five years. Diesel also can run any oil based fuel, produces more low end torque and produces quite a bit more economy during highway driving. I have personally seen 60mpg+ on a VW TDI Golf. Dont discount diesels yet. Also dont let uninformed media types discourage it...they are no engineers or technicians. I laugh everytime I hear about this scandal.
  
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- JimZ on Jan 09, 2017
  
  @desertsoldier22 " produces more low end torque" I like how people keep saying this nonsense, without realizing every 2.0T gas engine on the market outputs more torque than the VW 2.0 TDI.
  
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- Ram3 on Jul 10, 2017
  
  @JimZ please look at the specs on both vw engines gas and diesel the 2 liter gas produces 207 ft pounds of torque 3600-5000 rpm 114 HP the 2 liter diesel produces 280 ft pounds of torque 1700 -2500 rpm 148 HP Diesel engines will always produce more torque at normal rpm liter to liter a gas engine will never produce the same or even close the torque of a diesel take a look a heavy equipment or large yachts they all have Diesel engines because of the heavy loads . there is no gas engines that can compete under those conditions.
  
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APaGttH on Jan 07, 2017

I would follow this advice from Steve Miller. Whoa..oooo take the money and run.

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