Bosch has reportedly been revelled as an embodiment of technological brilliance for many years. In fact, one common retort in Stuttgart was “halt dei Gosch, I schaff beim Bosch”, which more or less means; “stop talking, I’m the one working for Bosch”.
Bosch employees perhaps prided themselves for being a part of an iconic company that demanded respect and admiration. However, the world-leading automotive technology supplier allegedly created and supplied the software used by VW that’s at the centre of this ongoing emissions scandal; and it’s costing them a lot.
The German company, founded by Robert Bosch in 1886, brought in a revenue of €73 billion (£67 billion) in 2016. Its contribution to ‘clean diesel technology’ has been hailed as ground-breaking. However, their reputation may have suffered for their reported role in allegedly developing the software created to cheat official emissions testing, letting millions of vehicles emit up to 40 times more than the legal limit of NOx pollution.
Bosch has since paid out $300 million in settlements in the U.S, but this may just be the beginning. Many more lawsuits have come forward, naming Bosch as equally complicit in the scandal.
The role of Bosch and their level of responsibility
Whilst it’s now reportedly accepted that Bosch was the one who developed and created the software that enabled Volkswagen to cheat NOx emissions testing, some authorities suspect that Bosch did more than just sell the software to VW. Manager of the diesel onboard diagnostics section for the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Tom Montes, believes:
“The supplier is the expert, and they know what they want the device to do.”
The software is very specific in its function and regulators would be ignorant to believe Bosch only played a minor role in the scandal. You could argue they ought to have come forward and informed regulators about what they’d created.
Further investigations
Engineers are now reportedly investigating other diesel vehicles that use Bosch emission-control devices. An incredible amount of data is being gathered and analysed to check for any red flags. Montes believes it is “obvious” that Bosch technology has now become a red flag for all testing engineers.
Bosch, however, is fighting back. The head of their mobility solutions unit, Rolf Bulander, stated:
“I reject that Bosch’s role has been running like common thread… the relationship between customers and suppliers has its basis in laws and regulations, and we are sticking to them.”
Bosch’s role in terms of liability was not evident at the beginning, but after months of lawsuits, Bosch was reportedly revealed to have had a much larger role in the scandal that has so far cost Volkswagen around $25 billion.
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