German Government Questions if GM Opel Emissions Control Is Compliant
May 18 2016 - 4:40PM
Dow Jones News
BERLIN—The German government on Wednesday gave General Motors
Co.'s Opel unit two weeks to provide information that could explain
irregularities in emissions in some of its vehicles.
"We have given the Opel representatives 14 days to provide us
with appropriate technical information," German Transport Minister
Alexander Dobrindt told reporters after a meeting of government
officials and Opel Chief Executive Karl-Thomas Neumann.
The government hasn't levied any official charges against Opel
and doesn't suspect the company of using illegal test-recognition
software.
The German government subjected 53 car models from various
manufacturers to inspection in the wake of disclosure in September
that Volkswagen AG rigged diesel engines on nearly 11 million cars
world-wide to cheat on emissions tests.
Last month, the government presented the results of the tests
and concluded Volkswagen was the only manufacturer to use so-called
test-recognition software.
But the government also noted nearly all manufacturers used
temperature controls to suppress emissions controls at lower
temperatures.
While not illegal, it is a gray area in European emissions
regulation, and the German government alleged manufacturers were
making liberal use of the allowance.
The meeting between Opel representatives and a German government
investigative committee Wednesday was prompted by allegations from
an environmental lobby group and German media that Opel had gone a
step further and was using so-called defeat devices to suppress
emissions control.
Opel has repeatedly denied using illegal software.
The environmental group, German Environmental Aid, alleges Opel
has calibrated emissions software in its Zafira model to become
less effective when the car reaches a speed of 140 kilometers an
hour (87 miles an hour) or higher elevations.
Opel insists its vehicles are fully compliant with European
law.
"Our engines comply with the law," the company said in a
statement after the meeting. "We at Opel do not use any illegal
software."
Under European law, auto makers are allowed to use so-called
defeat devices to suppress emissions control under certain
conditions to protect the engine, such as in colder temperatures to
limit soot emissions to protect the particulate filter in the
catalytic converter.
"The investigative committee has doubts whether engine
protection completely explains the procedure that is described
here," Mr. Dobrindt said.
Write to William Boston at william.boston@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 18, 2016 16:25 ET (20:25 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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