Volkswagen Is Ordered to Recall Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Emissions Software

[jgs]

Lots of confusion around this.... the VW scandal specifically involved NO2, a very toxic compound that kills thousands every year. Not N2O the gas you get at the dentist. NO2 actually has a slight cooling effect since it causes smog and increases the albedo of the planet.

Yes, exactly. The "x" in NOx is the usual "x" used in equations, meaning "insert a number here". In the case of diesel emissions, x = 1,2, so "NOx" is shorthand for "NO and NO2". And not, as you rightly point out, N2O.

 

[mspohr]

Lots of confusion around this.... the VW scandal specifically involved NO2, a very toxic compound that kills thousands every year. Not N2O the gas you get at the dentist. NO2 actually has a slight cooling effect since it causes smog and increases the albedo of the planet.

Not really... From another EPA document: The past increase in tropospheric ozone, whichis also a greenhouse gas, is estimated to provide
the third largest increase in direct radiative
forcing since the pre-industrial era, behind CO2
and CH4. Tropospheric ozone is produced from
complex chemical reactions of volatile organic
compounds mixing with nitrogen oxides (NOx)
in the presence of sunlight. Ozone, carbon
monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter are
included in the category referred to as “criteria
pollutants” in the United States under the Clean
Air Act and its subsequent amendments. The
tropospheric concentrations of ozone and these
other pollutants are short-lived and, therefore,
spatially variable.

 

[jgs]

Not really... From another EPA document:

(etc)

That's interesting. Notwithstanding, it represents only weak evidence that NOx should be considered a greenhouse gas. Bear in mind that in order for the reaction described in your quotation to occur, the NOx first has to get into the troposphere. It's a short-lived gas and the troposphere is way up there. Other sources contradict your quotation, for example the Wikipedia article (yes yes, Wikipedia) on NOx includes "emissions also causes global cooling through the formation of OH groups that destroy methane molecules, countering the effect of greenhouse gases. The effect can be significant." (The Wikipedia article cites an OECD study.) Or, this site (Other Greenhouse gases - NOx) talks about the reaction your quotation speaks of, but qualifies it by saying "The impact of NOx gases on global warming is not all bad though." The article goes on to talk about pathways for NOx to get directly into the troposphere, listing aircraft and lightning.

I mean, I'm no fan of NOx, but it's not because of greenhouse emissions.

 

[mspohr]

Mercedes next?Mercedes owner files US suit over diesel emissions | Environment | The Guardian


An owner of a Mercedes BlueTEC diesel car filed a class-action lawsuit in the United States, accusing the carmaker of knowingly programming its Clean Diesel vehicles to emit illegally high levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx), according to law firm Hagens Berman

 

[mspohr]

And more on VW.

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen internal memos and emails suggest that company executives pursued a strategy of delay and obfuscation with United States regulators after being confronted in early 2014 with evidence that VW diesel vehicles were emitting far more pollutants than allowed.
The documents, first reported on by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag and since reviewed by The New York Times, could raise the penalties for Volkswagen based on laws requiring public disclosure of problems with potential to affect a company’s stock price. They indicate that top managers knew sooner than they have acknowledged that they could not bring tainted vehicles into compliance with air-quality rules, but led federal and California officials to believe otherwise.


http://nyti.ms/1XAxr8J
Log In

 

[3mp_kwh]

CARB is supposed to approve / reject the 3.0 TDI fix early next week. Today, VW leaked an update that things will take even longer, because of EPA's long-distance test:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0VS0W9

In other general VWG news, we see how a focus on money, not cars, is getting Porsche's Wiededking in trouble. Possible jail time, included:
Jail Time Urged in VW Takeover Case - WSJ

 

[mspohr]

According to this article from Australia citing a German source, the US EPA is asking VW to make electric cars in the US as part of their atonement.

US asks VW for electric cars

From the brief article:
German newspaper Welt am Sonntag:
"The paper, which gave no source for its report on Sunday, said the EPA was asking VW to produce electric vehicles at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and to help build a network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the United States.
Five months after the emissions scandal broke in the United States, Europe's leading carmaker has yet to come up with a technical fix for almost 600,000 diesel cars, and is facing a growing number of legal claims."

 

[ecarfan]

Interesting. So that is an Australian website saying that a German newspaper is claiming (without stating a source) that the US EPA is negotiating with VW to build VW EVs in the US and build out a charging network.
I am reserving judgement as to the veracity of that report. But thanks for posting it.

 

[FlatSix911]

In other general VWG news, we see how a focus on money, not cars, is getting Porsche's Wiededking in trouble.
Possible jail time, included: Jail Time Urged in VW Takeover Case - WSJ

Wiededking's standard response ...

 

[gene]

Interesting. So that is an Australian website saying that a German newspaper is claiming (without stating a source) that the US EPA is negotiating with VW to build VW EVs in the US and build out a charging network.
I am reserving judgement as to the veracity of that report. But thanks for posting it.

A liitle more on this subject: EPA asks Volkswagen to make electric cars in US – report | Business | The Guardian

 

[gene]

Hey Curt Renz, you there? I love this video you did. Maybe you could do a version about the VW Diesel situation?

Tesla Motors Supercharger Stations Surround Berlin (Downfall Parody) - YouTube

 

[Takumi]

After this The Koenigsegg Regera is the most insane hybrid on earth & this Rimac Concept_S is One amped up supercar, what's Volkswagen to do?

Even their Mission E concept is already obsolete.

 

[gene]

VW demonstration at Geneva is interrupted by a funny protester.

Volkswagen Presentation Interrupted by Protester - YouTube

 

[jgs]

VW demonstration at Geneva is interrupted by a funny protester.

Volkswagen Presentation Interrupted by Protester - YouTube

Well played.

- - - Updated - - -

Visiting California this week. There was an eGolf in the parking lot, I showed it to my daughter while chatting with her on facetime. Her first reaction, "it's electric? Cool". Her second reaction "Volkswagen? How do you know it's really what they say?"

Out of the mouths of babes…

 

[beeeerock]

Visiting California this week. There was an eGolf in the parking lot, I showed it to my daughter while chatting with her on facetime. Her first reaction, "it's electric? Cool". Her second reaction "Volkswagen? How do you know it's really what they say?"

Out of the mouths of babes…

Somebody once tried to tell me that EV's spew an invisible toxic cloud of metal particles as exhaust. Perhaps they were speaking of the eGolf...

 

[thegruf]

fallout continues as President of VW USA runs away
http://www.theguardian.com/business...sident-resigns-michael-horn-emissions-scandal

 

[Lloyd]

Somebody once tried to tell me that EV's spew an invisible toxic cloud of metal particles as exhaust. Perhaps they were speaking of the eGolf...

Only when you are not looking :tongue:

 

[TheTalkingMule]

VW floats the idea of leaving the US market. LOL!

Do they expect the US market to care about this threat?

 

[beeeerock]

VW floats the idea of leaving the US market. LOL!

Do they expect the US market to care about this threat?

They're just pouting.

 

[brianman]

an invisible toxic cloud of metal particles as exhaust

iocane?