back to article DoJ preps criminal charges for VW over Dieselgate

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is reportedly preparing to file criminal charges in the Volkswagon emissions testing scandal. Citing sources familiar, The Wall Street Journal reports that the DoJ has found evidence of criminal wrongdoing on the part of the German automaker and is in talks with VW lawyers to propose a deal …

  1. Sebastian A

    Can we please not -gate it. Please? Maybe call it DieselDeception? DieselDishonour? DieselDisgrace? VolksWangle?

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      For VW it's probably DieselTrauma...

      How about 'Rudolf's Revenge'?

    2. Lotaresco

      Since it seems to involve all VW owned or influenced companies

      It has to be VAGate, doesn't it?

    3. Lotaresco

      Or...

      Since it involves:

      Volkswagen Group

      In difficult circumstances

      VAGina pickle?

  2. joed

    double standards?

    Surely VW is not the only corporate entity that would use this treatment. And having individuals that signed off (or were just in charge) accountable would send even stronger signal. Golden parachutes are not sufficient ethical behavior motivators.

    1. IvyKing Bronze badge
      Pirate

      Re: double standards?

      Presumably the other corporate entities have made contributions to the WJC Foundation to atone for their sins. Doesn't help that VW is in competition to Government Motors...

    2. Fortycoats
      Flame

      Re: double standards?

      What about GM? Didn't they have problems with ignition switches, which resulted in many fatal accidents? Y'know, where people actually died (at least 124). According to Wikipedia they they coughed up $900m to Uncle Sam and about $600m compensation. So about $1.5bn total. But VW are being pushed for 10 times that amount, just for fiddling with the software? Nobody has died (directly) because of this. And it wasn't just VW. Daimler, Opel (yes, GM again), Ford, and others were also found to have "creative" software on their Diesel cars and vans.

      So how to explain the difference? Could it be because VW is not American?

      If they want to go after anyone, it should be the German Federal Vehicle Regulator (Kraftfahrtbundesamt - KBA). They just ignored it or let the manufacturers design the emissions tests themselves. Which shows how much clout the car lobby has in Germany - about as much as the NRA in the US.

      1. Zimmer
        Flame

        Re: double standards? --No, economic warfare

        .. amongst the largest companies in the world and dominant market share leader in Europe for over 20 years, over 600,000 employees (and goodness knows how many pensioners) it's a prime target for the US and GM.

        Unfortunately for them, most customers couldn't give a ***** (insert your expletive of choice here) about the diesel issue, particularly when following a convoy of Eastern European lorries down the M20 or up the M6.

        As another commentator has already pointed out, it has highlighted the issue of diesel pollution , so more are being steered towards a petrol engine model.

        Perhaps lorries will have to go electric (I've seen the twin trailer artic's, perhaps trailer 2 could house the batteries! <Joke Icon, here> )

      2. Gotno iShit Wantno iShit

        Re: double standards? @Fortycoats

        Have you a link for the "creative" software by non-VAG companies? Interest not snark.

        Many others have been found to be outside the emission limits in real world tests but that's largely due to unrealistic limits combined with distinctly not-real-word test methodologies. The latter being the only way with current technology to meet the former. I've not seen any other company caught having software that is creative in remotely the same way as VAG hence the interest.

        As for why VW are getting a complete reaming and GM didn't, nail on head IMO.

        1. Fortycoats

          Re: double standards? @Fortycoats

          Hi, the only link I had was in German. But found an english one here:

          http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/diesel-recall-which-cars-are-affected-will-my-mpg-decrease-and-s/

          VW were doing the most, it seems, to cheat on the test. But the others are also "optimising" their results. And yes, the tests themselves are rubbish. You never get the mileage stated in the sales blurb, not even close.

          And to compare emissions, you don't want to know how much crap the average cruise ship pumps out.

          1. Lars Silver badge
            Happy

            Re: double standards? @Fortycoats

            "And to compare emissions, you don't want to know how much crap the average cruise ship pumps out.".

            No, not really, modern cruise ships are really far ahead in that respect provided you demand it. I know there are guys who could tell you more, but do they read ElReg.

            1. Lars Silver badge
              Happy

              Re: double standards? @Fortycoats

              @Lars, my self.

              What I was trying to add is that there are no better alternatives with big engines than Diesel. The technology to decrease substantially the emission is there and working. But as always you have to demand it, and as always there is a lobby weeping about how it is expensive and kills business, all those damned regulations. Nothing new there. Regulations regarding cruise ships in the Baltic has done a lot and there has been many tears in some eyes, as expected, but it has happened, and we consumers moan all the same as before, about those damned EU regulations and the emission.

      3. ToddR

        Re: double standards?

        Of course because VW isn't american.

        USA versus BP, (or as Obama said British Petroleum, despite most technical jobs being in the USA, due to BP Amoco merger)

        Still VW did lie through their f*****n teeth didn't they?

        This will go on and on until the VW marque disappears from the USA.

  3. smartypants

    Unexpected benefit

    Diesel was already a nasty thing to be burning in cities, and part of the fallout of this saga is that VW seems to be accelerating plans to introduce non-diesel future drivetrains.

    So it might be a lot of pain for them (or their shareholders) now, but it probably will help them in the long term.

    1. ToddR

      Re: Unexpected benefit

      "Diesel was already a nasty thing to be burning"

      Aye should have listened to Margaret Thatcher. She championed lean burn, but Brussels, (well German and French car companies), wanted diesel.

      1. Lotaresco

        Re: Unexpected benefit

        "Aye should have listened to Margaret Thatcher. She championed lean burn, but Brussels, (well German and French car companies), wanted diesel."

        Ford wanted lean burn because they had the technology under development.

        Diesel wasn't being pushed as the solution to air pollution at the time and wouldn't have worked as the solution since it was filthier than petrol.

        Brussels wanted catalytic converters for petrol cars, subject to intense lobbying by the precious metals refining lobby. Diesel catalytic converters were not available at the time. DPF and diesel cats came later.

        Diesel took off as the fuel of choice because of public demand. Diesels got quieter and the mpg was astonishing compared to petrol engined cars. Hybrids didn't exist at the time and the public cared about more about cost than emissions. Then when the VED rules changed the public cared about how much their income tax was going to rise - a diesel has lower CO2 emissions but spews out filth. Diesel cars became the company car of choice. In the rest of Europe lower diesel prices and an existing strong tradition of diesel engine cars saw diesel sales rise across the continent as well as in the UK.

        The resulting photochemical smog concerned Europe, as it should, so they legislated for cleaner diesel engines.

  4. 2Fat2Bald

    I wonder at what point VW just give up and leave the US market?

  5. unwarranted triumphalism

    Double-dealing from treehuggers

    1. Enact emissions controls that are impossible to comply with

    2. Fine manufacturers for complying with them

    3. Profit!

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: Double-dealing from treehuggers

      No kidding. The basic regulatory regime was to simply crank the limits down every year. Eventually they become unobtainable, so people cheat. Not surprised!

  6. VulcanV5

    Wonder when the UK will act against VAG . . . then again, nah. Apparently we're covered here by EU consumer legislation and at any minute now, Brussels is going to, is going to, is going to . . . I also wonder, how much London lost out on with VAG's cheating of its Low Emission Zone. Scum of the earth, VAG, but that's not going to stop people from buying their product or Brussels running scared of a German conglomerate.

  7. nilfs2
    Coat

    Ban petrol and diesel and be done with it

    The actual regulations are impossible to comply by manufacturers playing fair, just ban the dinosaur juice and be done with it.

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