Are Porsche cheating emissions too?

How long is a piece of string? – This is probably the best response to a question like “when will VW see an end to repercussions arising from the VW scandal?”

In the latest development in the ongoing and ever-growing emissions scandal, the German government will test Porsche (VW subsidiary company) vehicles following reports that Porches are exceeding emissions limits as well.

Déjà vu? Are there defeat devices in Porsche models too? Time will tell…

But we wouldn’t be surprised if there are…

Are Porsche vehicle cheating emissions testing too?

Germany’s Transport Ministry, headed by Alexander Dobrindt, will test Porsche SUVs – specifically, the Cayenne V6 TDI – after multiple reports of it breaching diesel emissions limits.

Der Spiegel magazine said that it tested the Porsche SUV model and found that their emissions were higher than what is regulated or allowed, and these revelations have further implicated VW and their subsidiary companies. There appears to be substantive evidence to believe these allegations are true as a result of the historic cheating and deceit VW have already been involved in.

Der Spiegel’s allegations on the increased Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) in Porsche vehicles led the Federal Motor Transport Office to investigate the suspicion of exhaust gas manipulation.

The German Federal Motor Vehicle Authority (KBA) is now testing the alleged diesel models.

Findings

On 12^th June, a spokesperson for the Transport Ministry said the KBA was commissioned to carry out the investigations. It’s believed that the TuV Nord tests (Germany’s testing institute) were carried out due to suspicions that the vehicles were not adhering to emissions regulations.

According to an internal source, experts concluded the car had an illegal ‘shut-off facility for exhaust gas purification’. Der Spiegel also claimed that, when the vehicle is off the road, it ejects more toxic exhaust fumes than regulations allow. In this mode, the Cayenne model reportedly emitted 68% more NOx than allowed.

Porsche’s defence

Porsche (naturally) have defended the claims and said that “on present information no inadmissible switch-off or changeover devices” (is being used). They claimed all their vehicles are compliant with emissions regulations.

Porsche news comes amid further Audi recalls

VW’s other subsidiary manufacturer, Audi, also had 24,000 more vehicles recalled as the emissions scandal widened on the popular brand where millions of models worldwide are already thought to be affected. A7 and A8 models are also being recalled as a result of reported shut-down facilities; similar to that which is being alleged in the Porsche models.

It seems as though cheating devices and deceiving vehicle owners runs deep in the VW family…

Calls for more punishment

Many politicians and consumer protection groups have already demanded for consequences to be greater on vehicle manufacturers. There’s also a rise in calls for diesel driving bans.

Der Spiegel notes that diesel driving bans could be enforced as early as next year in 2018.

German environmental aid organisation’s (DUH) senior manager, Jürgen Resch, disagrees with Porsche’s statement:

“…what is described there gives a further, very plausible explanation for the high NOx concentrations in Stuttgart and elsewhere.”

Klaus Muller, the President of the German Consumer Confederation, has recognised that, “customers are apparently also deliberately deceived almost 2 years after the start” (of the scandal).

Mr Muller urges – as do we here at the Car Emissions Lawyers – for affected owners to come forward and claim:

“by the end of the year, many VW customers will lose their claims resulting from the exhaustion dilemma by statute of limitations, unless they bring an action up to that point.”

The VW brand has agreed to pay up to $25 billion (£19.6 billion) in penalties and remediation efforts so far – but none of that is being made available for the U.K. victims as we continue to fight them in the High Court of Justice.