A New Cheat Device Has Been Found in Audi Vehicles: Report
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has reportedly discovered another device in certain Audi vehicles that artificially reduces vehicle emissions during tests.
According to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the device lowers CO2 emissions and is unrelated to the NOx device that caused the TDI scandal. Bild am Sonntag did not cite any sources in the report, which alleges that CARB found the device last summer.
The device was found in cars with automatic transmissions with the internal code AL 55. According to the report, the software detected whether or not any steering angle was being applied. If the wheels were straight, indicating that the car was being tested by officials, a CO2 reducing gear-shifting program was turned on.
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So far, neither CARB nor Audi has commented on the matter, but the device is said to have been installed on vehicles like the Audi A6, A8, and Q5— one of Audi’s best selling vehicles.
According to the report, Audi stopped using the device shortly before it was discovered and the manufacturer had already suspended several engineers because of it.
The report comes at a bad time for Audi as its parent company, Volkswagen AG, is under fire for contending last week that its NOx defeat device was not illegal under European law. The company is taking flack from all angles for the contention, even from its traditional allies, like the state of Lower Saxony.
This article originally appeared on fourtitude.com
Sebastien is a roving reporter who covers Euros, domestics, and all things enthusiast. He has been writing about the automotive industry for four years and obsessed with it his whole life. He studied English at the Wilfrid Laurier University. Sebastien also edits for AutoGuide's sister sites VW Vortex, Fourtitude, Swedespeed, GM Inside News, All Ford Mustangs, and more.
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