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El Reg reports
Former engineer James Robert Liang took a plea deal with the US federal government to cooperate with its ongoing investigation of how the German car maker cheated American emissions tests and passed off its "clean diesel" engines as meeting state and government clean air standards.
While VW executives have claimed that the use of a defeat device to artificially limit emissions during tests was the work of a "couple of software engineers", Liang's plea deal shows that the conspiracy dates back roughly a decade and has roots in the team that designed the engines.
In other words, Liang claims the design team was in on it, not just a couple of bad apples.
Liang told the government that in 2006, engineers knew the EA 189 diesel engine would not be able to meet clean air emission standards on its own. Rather than attempt to redesign the engine, he and other members of the design team deliberately cheated the testing system.
[...] He said that the device was used to get the clean air certification on VW's "clean diesel" models from 2009 to 2016, and that the group continued to lie about the emissions output of the engines even after the US government began its investigation.
Previous: VW Engineer Pleads Guilty in Diesel Cheating Scandal
(Score: 5, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday September 13 2016, @04:40PM
The problem with those US pickup trucks is their stupid owners illegally modify them specifically to make smoke clouds, because they're assholes. The manufacturers can't do much about that; there's only so much a carmaker can do to prevent modifications.
What we need is much better enforcement. Cops should be able to pull these assholes over and arrest them on the spot, and confiscate their vehicles. Normally I'm against civil asset forfeiture, but if someone is properly found to have illegally modified his vehicle in such a way, it should be subject to forfeiture. (This shouldn't apply to cases of simple malfunction, poor maintenance, etc., only to intentional tampering.)
When running properly, diesel pickups do perform well and with very good fuel economy (for a truck). To my knowledge, it's quite possible to get good emissions out of them using AdBlue (DEF). Regulations should enforce this if they don't already. Pickups have plenty of room for a big DEF tank.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @05:01PM
I'm pretty sure the cops are also assholes and cheering them on.
Me, I like to be an asshole and talk about how my car gets 40 mpg when those assholes start complaining about gas prices.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday September 13 2016, @06:25PM
Whats worse is many of those stupid owners don't use them as a truck. Just a penis extension.
Real pickups owners beat the piss out of them towing and/or hauling crap in the bed.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Tuesday September 13 2016, @06:36PM
Right, %pet_issue% justifies armed agents of the state to detain and cage people because we need to %send_msg% about %pet_issue% because of %moral_outrage%. And that also requires %extrajudicial_measure% because %moral_outrage%.
Of course, no armed agent of the state would ever use %tenuous_reason% to abuse their authority, because any right-thinking person is against %moral_outrage%.
Shall we shoot loud motorcyclists on sight as well?
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Informative) by Grishnakh on Tuesday September 13 2016, @07:08PM
Don't be stupid. The people are intentionally emitting dangerous pollution into the worst place possible: right in front of other peoples' cars (and pedestrians), forcing them to breathe it. Particulate pollution is immediately dangerous to human health (unlike most other types, which are much more indirect). It's basically like someone forcing you to breathe the smoke from an entire cigarette all at once.
I have no problem with using armed agents of the state to put a stop to this kind of behavior. If you want to breathe a bunch of dangerous smoke, do it on your own. Force me to do it and I feel I have every right to use violence to protect myself from your assault.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @10:28PM
Gugger could not have picked a worse behavior to defend with short-sighted libertarian arguments.
Not only is "rolling coal" directly harmful to anyone in the vicinity, it is all just insecure white men feeling emasculated because the world is changing and they aren't able to keep up. Ordinarily they would be deserving of empathy, but not only are they unwilling to help themselves, they think that being destructive isn't just their best option, its their right.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:56PM
That's racist, I have personally seen other "races" than "whites" roll coal.
I don't know why you are bigoted against white males, others are capable of being assholes as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @04:56PM
i don't argue that one should accept being "coal rolled" but you have the right to pull up and open fire on the perpetrator. no state henchmen need be involved.
(Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:15AM
Most people doing this "crime" are doing it away from population centers, so the impact is insufficient to justify forfeiture or worse.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:43PM
Population centers and density are irrelevant, only the exhaust concentration right where nearby people are, breathing it in. These assholes do it directly in front of other cars and cyclists and pedestrians. They deserve to be shot on sight, just like anyone who intentionally tries to harm the health of another human being.
How'd you like it if someone forced you to breathe in a bunch of asbestos dust? Maybe that should be the punishment, along with an exemption for health insurance companies so they don't have to cover it, leaving these assholes to die slowly of mesothelioma.
(Score: 5, Funny) by bob_super on Tuesday September 13 2016, @08:01PM
> Shall we shoot loud motorcyclists on sight as well?
Only with silencers, obviously...
(Score: 2, Insightful) by watusimoto on Wednesday September 14 2016, @07:58AM
In this case, the vehicle is the instrument of the crime. Of course it could be seized.
(Score: 0, Disagree) by zero_cool on Tuesday September 13 2016, @06:38PM
I live in a cold climate, def freezes in the tank 3/4 of the year, am i just supposed to park my vehicle and walk 3/4 of the year? as for the type of filters that you have to regen..... all they do is store all the pollution up and burn it off at once and as an added negative they decrease fuel mileage, power and you have to waste a half hour of fuel every time you do a regen. Also please note that a single volcanic eruption usually emits more co2 then all of humanity for quite some time. explain to me how me modifying my emissions system so that my truck is more fuel efficient and will actually run all year round merrits having my truck ceased? You sound like an enviro hippie to me. let me guess you probabally oppose pipelines too. but like other hippies you probabally still drive a car use plastic and have lights and running water in your home?
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday September 13 2016, @07:14PM
Let me guess, you're a moron who doesn't know anything about your own vehicle:
http://govictoryblue.com/2013/10/23/def-freezing/ [govictoryblue.com]
http://mitchell1.com/shopconnection/my-def-is-frozen-what-to-do/ [mitchell1.com]
I was able to find that in 20 seconds with a Google search. DEF freezing isn't a problem because they use heaters for the tanks, and it isn't necessary for start-up.
And since you don't even know the word for "seized" I fail to see how it's productive to argue with you any more. Go back to school and learn English.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @08:15PM
Must be really cold if it is below 12F continuously for 9 months of the year. Even Barrow Alaska breaks 12F for some part of the day between May and October...
Sounds like someone looking for an excuse because they don't want to play nice.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday September 14 2016, @04:04PM
While your mods might not produce these stupid clouds, they are certainly against the law and you can have your truck impounded depending on the local jurisdiction.
Most people who live in the deep north have cold weather prep packages specked at time of order. These include things like tank and block heaters as well as other cold weather add-ons. Many smart owners also choose to plug them in and/or keep them in a garage that is kept a little above freezing. Have you considered any of those things when you bought your truck?
The half hour of regen and fuel is a PITA. You just have to live with it. As for the pollutants, the DPF is there to remove the particulate matter or soot from the exhaust stream. It poses an immediate inhalation health hazard. It has been linked to asthma and other respiratory diseases. Do a search for 'diesel particulate asthma'. You will find plenty of research. NOx, controlled by the SCR system forms smog, acid rain and particulate matter. A quick search of 'NOx health hazards' will again give you information. This isn't hard.
So? Sounds like a cop out statement to me. "Well nature does it all the time so why cant we?" It's a very selfish, fuck everyone attitude. And again, this is about particulate matter and NOx.
Again, NOx and Particulate matter.
And you just sound like a clueless, selfish asshole to me. And by clueless, I mean it doesn't even sound like you properly specked your truck for your geographic location.
As a whole, people should be concerned about long term health effects of any process they are involved in. Your single truck might not sound like much pollution but multiply that times millions of diesel engines all around the world in everything from small pumps, compressors and generators to locomotives and container ships. If everyone cooperates, then things are improved for EVERYONE. Learn to sacrifice and compromise instead of being a whiny selfish prick.
And side note: The coal rollers purposefully mod their engines to excessively smoke for show. Some even purposefully lay down clouds so thick, traffic behind them has to stop as they cant see past the smoke screen. It's a total dick, asshole, fuck head move. Damn right they deserve a beating for having that mentality.
(Score: 2) by goodie on Tuesday September 13 2016, @07:31PM
The problem is that 99% of those people don't even need a truck. They like to have one just "because". Just because somebody tows something once a year does not mean they need a pickup. People like to rationalize things that way but in general, like all cars, it's more of a status thing IMHO.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @07:47PM
The problem with those US pickup trucks is their stupid owners illegally modify them specifically to make smoke clouds, because they're assholes. The manufacturers can't do much about that; there's only so much a carmaker can do to prevent modifications.
This is the first I've heard this. Can you provide more details, such as why people do this and how they do it? I'm prepared to believe it, but would like to learn more.
I understand that motorcycles drivers like to ramp up the sound of their engines (especially Harley Davidson, who literally has designed their motorcycles to be trivial to "break" and create that sound)... but it's easy for me to see the ego boost of ramping loud sounds wherever you go. I don't get why people would want huge clouds of noxious smoke surrounding their vehicle, though. At the very least, they'll smell it themselves at a red light.
(Score: 2) by Ellis D. Tripp on Tuesday September 13 2016, @10:40PM
Google "Rolling Coal"...
Lots of videos on YouTube of these assholes intentionally spewing clouds at bicyclists, hybrid/EV drivers, people with left wing bumperstickers, etc. Have seen a few of these guys with "Prius Repellent" signs on the truck, pointing to the exhaust pipes.
"Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!"--Edward Abbey
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @12:18AM
At the very least, they'll smell it themselves at a red light.
That's a feature, not a bug. Also re: huge clouds of noxious smoke surrounding their vehicle, they're certain that this is actually not a detriment to their health, just some myth made up by faggots.