Volkswagen Scandal Affecting Public Perception of Diesel, Whole Automotive Industry
The Volkswagen dieselgate scandal is going beyond just affecting the public’s perception of the automaker.
In a recent survey conducted by Autolist, it has been revealed that public trust in the automotive industry has dropped 12 percent as a result of Volkswagen admitting that it cheated on EPA diesel emissions tests. A total of 2,387 vehicle owners in the U.S. responded to the survey, which also found that the perception of German engineering quality has fallen 18 percent. In addition, the perception of Volkswagen vehicle quality has dropped a significant 27 percent.
Of those surveyed, the willingness to buy a Volkswagen has taken a 28-percent hit, but the biggest impact dieselgate has had is that the perception of the automaker’s environmental consciousness has plummeted 47 percent.
SEE ALSO: Volkswagen Plans to Add 20 More Electrified Vehicles by 2020
According to Autolist, German companies and the entire auto industry have been worrying about the potential impacts in wake of the diesel scandal, and this survey confirms their fears. The survey also asked vehicle owners to reflect on the severity of the scandal with 66 percent choosing the highest severity rating for a legal infraction evaluation. When comparing it to the BP oil spill, 25 percent rated that dieselgate is equal or more severe, while 62 percent chose the highest severity rating for environmental impact evaluation.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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This turned out perfectly for the CARB and EPA. It's not enough for them to write regulations -- they must have violators, they must have a villain. It does not matter to them that Volkswagen diesels produce only 1/10,000th of the nitrogen oxides emitted by all sources in the US. Or that TDI Clean Diesels are actually very clean, whether you consider all greenhouse gases or consider particulates.