Dieselgate: Japanese Automakers Reveal Struggle to Meet US Emissions Standards
Japanese manufacturers Mazda and Honda, along with Nissan and Hyundai, had planned to introduce small diesel vehicles into the US market but scrapped their plans due to the difficulty of meeting American emissions regulations. Their experiences highlight VW's unusual approach to complying with emissions standards, which has been linked to its use of "defeat devices" in 482,000 diesel vehicles sold in the US. Mazda and Honda explained that they could have adapted their diesel engines to meet US NOx emissions standards but decided against it due to performance and cost concerns.
Key Takeaways:
- Mazda and Honda, along with Nissan and Hyundai, had planned to introduce small diesel vehicles into the US market but scrapped their plans due to emissions regulations.
- Japanese automakers faced challenges in meeting US NOx emissions standards, with Mazda citing unacceptable performance and Honda citing unjustified costs.
- VW's defeat devices turn off emissions controls unless the vehicle is undergoing an emissions test, emitting up to 40 times permitted NOx levels.
- VW is the only carmaker in recent years to offer diesel cars without urea tanks for sale in the US, indicating its unique approach to meeting emissions standards.
- VW has admitted to fitting 482,000 vehicles with "defeat devices" and has faced allegations of cheating on emissions tests.
- Up to 11 million diesel cars worldwide feature VW's "defeat device," raising concerns about widespread emissions tampering.
Statistics:
- 482,000: number of diesel vehicles sold in the US that featured VW's "defeat device"
- Up to 40: times permitted NOx emissions levels that VW's vehicles emitted when emissions controls were turned off
- 11 million: estimated number of diesel cars worldwide that feature VW's "defeat device"
- Recent years: VW is the only carmaker to offer diesel cars without urea tanks for sale in the US
Sources:
- The Financial Times
- The US Environmental Protection Agency