VW emissions scandal: Audi dragged further into dieselgate affair

Audi diesel engine development engineers were more heavily involved in the manipulation of diesel engine emissions through the use of cheat software at the Volkswagen Group than originally suspected, according to documents leaked to a number of German media outlets.

Citing e-mail correspondence recently uncovered by internal investigators at the US law firm Jones Day, Germany’s Sud Deutsche Zeitung reveals Audi engineers were actively involved in the decision-making process that led to emissions on the company’s own turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel being manipulated during tests to pass strict US regulations.

In an e-mail from 2007 that was circulated to what is described as a wide range of senior managers at the German car maker, an Audi engineer outlined the difficulties in complying with the strict US regulations for nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

In the e-mail, which was leaked to Sud Deutsche Zeitung and two other media outlets, the Audi engineer is claimed to have written: “Without cheating, we cannot meet the US limits.”

Up until now, Audi has denied its engineers were involved in the manipulation of diesel emissions, saying only that it had neglected to disclose a specific detail of the engine’s electronic control unit with authorities in the US.

Audi officials contacted by Autocar refused to comment on the latest Dieselgate revelations, although sources at the German car maker suggest up to four engineers previously involved in the development of the company’s 3.0 TDI engine have been suspended as internal investigations by Jones Day continue.

In a supervisory board meeting last Friday, Audi suspended its research and development boss, Stefan Knirsch, on suspicion of involvement in diesel engine emission manipulation practices.

The suspension of Knirsch preceded moves that will see Audi boss Rupert Stadler appear before a panel of lawyers from Jones Day. It is claimed that he had knowledge of the software used to manipulate emissions tests for the 3.0 TDI engine since shortly after being made Audi chairman in 2010.

Stadler has steadfastly denied that he knew of measures used by Audi engineers to manipulate the emissions test results of the V6 diesel, employed widely in various Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen models.

Greg Kable