Volkswagen emissions scandal
18 September 2015
What did Volkswagen do?
The German car maker has been installing "defeat devices" - software that allows cars to cheat in emissions tests, making them appear cleaner than they actually are. Volkswagen's software allowed it to beat the tests in a lab, but when on the road with emissions controls switched off, cars would pump out nitrogen oxide (NOx) - a polluntant - at up to 40 times the legal limit. Crucially, the software "knew" when it was being tested, allowing it to switch emissions controls on and off. It knew this thanks to the software's algorithm, which used information about steering patterns, engine use and even atmospheric pressure to tell whether it was under scrutiny. Volkswagen has been installing the software in certain models of its cars for at least six years. While investigating the scandal, VW found that around 800,000 cars also had irregularities around carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contributes to global warming.
What happens if you own one of these cars?
Volkswagen will get in touch with you if your car has to be returned, and it will perform the repairs free of charge. It looks likely that the necessary software update will leave Volkswagen drivers with a car that doesn't perform as they were told it would when they bought it.Consequently, drivers will potentially face much higher fuel bills in order to remain compliant. However if your car is not updated, the resale value of your vehicle could take a hit, and you could invalidate your insurance. If you think your car is affected, there is more detail here.
Has this harmed the environment?
Emissions have not only been much higher than we thought, but the promise of "clean diesel" might also be dead. Analysis conducted by The Guardian suggests that Volkswagen's rigging may have meant that an extra 1m tonnes of NOx pollution have been emitted each year. Health experts have claimed that nearly 12,000 lives a year in Britain are being lost because emissions have not fallen.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/11884738/VW-emissions-scandal-whats-it-all-about.html
STRUCTUER OF THE LEAD:
WHAT-Volkswagen emission scandal
WHEN-Sep.2015
WHO-Volkswagen
WHY-making them appear cleaner than they actually are
HOW-not given
WHERE-German
KEY WORDS:
- nitrogen oxide 二氧化氮
- algorithm 演算法
- steer 駕駛
- invalidate 使無效
- rigging 伪造
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