Quote:
Originally Posted by Grzpdlr
Well in this case California AQMD said the road test NOX was 40 times the static test so it's pretty dirty.
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I know there are a lot of people around here that just want to yell 'cheater, cheater, cheater' and fine VW out of business and I certainly don't condone what VW did but don't you think you need to get a little more info/background before your throw around the 40 times dirtier comment? Think maybe it might need some clarification?
I don't know what the 'static test' is and I'm not much up on the specific procedures used in EPA testing but the amount of pollution that's going out the tailpipe is directly proportional to the amount of throttle the user is requesting with their foot. On the face of it I don't find it at all remarkable that in some facets of operation a fully certified EPA car in the real world would emit 40X the amount of pollution that it did on a test stand. A car in steady-state cruise at 30MPH is going to emit a lot less crap than one run at wide open throttle up a hill for example.
I own two of the apparently 'cheating' Mercedes diesels, I have no idea if they are part of the 'cheating' scheme but I can tell you that from my perspective they seem to be pretty damn clean. These are the first Diesels I've ever owned that emit NO perceptible smoke even under extended full throttle applications at night and you never even smell the tell-tale diesel exhaust scent unless you get on your knees and stick your nose directly into the tailpipe. Seems to me like some people around here want to leave the impression that the 'cheating' diesels are rolling coal and emitting clouds of illegal smoke? Not true.
How much of the '40x' increase in apparent emissions is due to 'cheating' vs the parameters of operation when the on-the-road readings were taken?
Have the researchers tested a non-cheating car diesel car under the same circumstances to see if the pollution dropped to acceptable levels? Is here even a published EPA spec at the same conditions the readings were taken?
Have the researches done instrumented tests on gasoline powered cars under the same conditions to see how their emissions compare to test standards?
Seems like some of the questions I'd want to have answered before I started the 'cheating, cheating, cheating' mantra is I was interested in a fair presentation of the associated issues.