In a calculated scheme that tricked testers into thinking its cars emitted less pollutants than it actually did, Audi had placed illegal software in several of its vehicles, German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag" reported on Sunday. A Reuters report on the issue said the California Air Resources Board (CARB) found the device in an automatic transmission Audi last summer.
The discovery came to light only a year after Audi's parent company Volkswagen (VW) found itself in hot water for placing similar emmisions-control software in over 11 million diesel cars it sold across the globe. The scandal nearly forced the German company into bankruptcy.
An investigation revealed the VW vehicles release levels of nitrogen oxide that were 40 times the limit imposed by law, reported Deutsche Welle. Nitrogen oxide has been found to trigger respiratory problems.
Audi, the VW group's biggest moneymaker, confessed the pollutant controls had also been placed in its 3.0 liter V6 diesel engines. The illegal software, although located first in the U.S., is in gasoline and diesel engines across Europe as well.
Both Audi and CARB provided no comment to Bild am Sonntag when their report was released. A spokesperson for the carmakers did confirm, however, that it now negotiating with U.S.-based regulators on possible ways to address the 3.0 liter engines with the illegal software.
The German media said the steering wheels of the concerned vehicles were used to deactivate the device, which lessened the Audi's carbon dioxide emissions. When the steering wheel was not being used, as is the case under laboratory testing conditions, the software remained active.
Once the wheel had been turned by over 15 degrees, the gear-shifting device shut down.
Audi discontinued its use of the illegal device in May 2016, but its presence in a previous make enabled CARB to uncover it anyway. In connection with the case, Audi suspended engineers who had been involved in the deceptive controls.
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