Automotive News: EPA chief reverses decision to delay rules on emissions, VW executive pleads guilty in U.S. diesel emissions case, VW plans 'cash-for-clunkers' scheme for diesel cars, Volkswagen asks U.S. judge to toss Wyoming environmental lawsuit
EPA chief reverses decision to delay rules on emissions
One day after getting sued by 15 states, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt on Wednesday reversed his earlier decision to delay implementation of Obama-era rules reducing emissions of smog-causing air pollutants.
Pruitt presented the change as his agency being more responsive than past administrations to the needs of state environmental regulators. He made no mention of the legal challenge filed against his prior position in a federal appeals court.
At issue is an Oct. 1 deadline for states to begin meeting 2015 standards for ground-level ozone. Pruitt announced in June he would delay compliance by one year to give his agency more time to study the plan and avoid "interfering with local decisions or impeding economic growth."
Volkswagen executive pleads guilty in U.S. diesel emissions case
Volkswagen executive Oliver Schmidt pleaded guilty on Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit in connection with a massive diesel emissions scandal that has cost the German automaker as much as $25 billion.
Under a plea agreement, Schmidt faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of between $40,000 and $400,000 after admitting to conspiring to mislead U.S regulators and violating clean air laws. He will be sentenced on Dec. 6. read more »
VW plans 'cash-for-clunkers' scheme for diesel cars
The embattled German carmaker has announced it will offer incentives to drivers of older diesel models of its five main passenger-car brands to switch to cleaner vehicles in a bid to help cut pollution. read more »
Volkswagen asks U.S. judge to toss Wyoming environmental lawsuit
Volkswagen AG, trying to put a massive emissions-cheating scandal behind it, has asked a U.S. judge to reject a lawsuit by Wyoming potentially seeking more than $1 billion in additional penalties for environment damages.
The ruling could help decide whether other environmental claims against VW brought by about 15 states and some counties in Texas will go forward. In total, VW could faces billions of dollars in additional costs.
Volkswagen has agreed to spend up to $25 billion to address claims from U.S. owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers, and offered to buy back about 500,000 polluting U.S. vehicles. The company pleaded guilty in March to intentionally cheated on emissions tests.
The current issue is whether federal law preempts most states from filing environmental enforcement suits against automakers. read more »
Dieselgate: a timeline
VW's emissions scandal plunged the automaker into its deepest crisis ever. It brought with it everlasting damage to VW's reputation and massive fees and penalties - not to mention compensation claims from car owners. read more »
Germany’s carmakers feel the Tesla shock
Diesel is dying and the only question is how long it will take
There is plenty of demand for the new Tesla 3; the question is whether Elon Musk can produce them all. BMW and Daimler have the converse problem: they are good at making diesel cars but who wants one?
After decades of success, dominating the global luxury market with impeccably designed engineering marvels, Germany’s carmakers face their iPhone moment. Like BlackBerry and Nokia before, they are confronted with a US company selling an elegant device based on superior technology.
BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen executives will gather in Berlin on Wednesday with ministers at a “diesel summit” to discuss how to mitigate the technology disaster that the industry has brought on itself. They might as well not bother: diesel is dying and the only question is how long it will take. read more »
