Skip to main content

Dieselgate’s latest drama: claims of increased fuel consumption after emissions ‘fix’

VW logo
Volkswagen just can’t catch a break, but at this point, the real question is: does it deserve one?

The automaker’s latest setback comes in the form of news from Germany that the planned recall of its emissions-cheating vehicles has been halted due to an increase in fuel consumption. Automotive News Europe states that the “fix” Volkswagen has been applying to 160,000 of its Passat models has been paused, though the company calls claims of greater fuel consumption “speculation.”

Still, the Volkswagen spokesperson has acknowledged that German authorities are investigating these reports. “We have to guarantee that noise and especially CO2 emissions are exactly the same as before the fix,” said the company representative. The Germany Federal Motor Transport Authority was expected to have its investigation wrapped up by March 27, but it appears the issue required further time. A final “yes” or “no” to VW’s resolution will be announced this week or next.

When the agency does approve the fix, Volkswagen will finish the remainder of Passat models before turning to the Audi A4, A5, and Skoda Superb vehicles that also feature the 2.0-liter diesel motor. There are a total of about 2.5 million vehicles in Germany alone that will need modifications before Volkswagen can address the rest of Europe.

Vehicles with 2.0-liter, 1.6-liter, and 1.2-liter Euro 5 diesel engines used manipulated software. Of these, the 2.0- and 1.2-liter engines will get a software upgrade that only takes about 30 minutes, but the 1.6-liter engine will also require installation of a piece of mesh to regulate air flow. This will increase labor time to about an hour.

As a reminder, in the U.S. where Volkswagen’s problems began, the automaker has until April 21 to find a fix that will address about 600,000 vehicles. For VW, the struggle is obviously managing time constraints and finding a fix that won’t create further issues down the road.

Editors' Recommendations

Electric trucks aren’t ready for the big leagues — but I still loved the F-150 Lightning
Ford F-150 Lightning

Electric cars are getting pretty cool. While Tesla popularized the concept of a "fun" electric car, these days there are quite a few options out there, like the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and even some luxury options from Mercedes and BMW. These cars offer awesome performance and often a sweet design, making them excellent choices for first-time EV buyers.

But with electric trucks, it's a slightly different story. To be clear, they're just as powerful, -- often more so -- than electric cars. But when you're driving a truck, you expect to be able to use that power in different ways, and frankly, electric trucks seem to have a way to go before they'll hold up in those settings.
Towing is tough
The Achilles' heel of every electric truck comes down to hauling: Adding a ton of weight to the load seriously impacts range -- and not in a trivial way. Add a camper or even a lightweight trailer, and you might find that you're getting half of the expected range out of a charge. That means that you'll have to charge up more than every 150 miles, and if you're towing a camper, it's very likely that you're driving further than that. And even lighter loads can have a heavy impact on range.

Read more
VinFast’s new electric cars will be available in the U.S. this year
VinFast VF6

As we move toward electric vehicles, all kinds of new car brands have been popping up -- giving the traditional automakers a run for their money. Over the past few years at CES, one of the more interesting of those has been VinFast -- a Vietnamese company that delivered its first cars in the U.S. in November. Now, the company is planning on more releases over the next year -- and at CES 2023, we learned more about what those cars will offer.

VinFast may not be very well known in the U.S., but it's actually one of the larger automakers in Vietnam. It certainly doesn't have the experience in manufacturing on the scale that it's hoping to in the U.S., but unlike many of the other electric carmakers, it is actually shipping cars -- not just building concepts. The VinFast VF8 crossover and VF9 SUV were announced earlier -- but little was known about the smaller VF6 and VF7 models, until now. Turns out, like their larger siblings, they're pretty compelling options.
VinFast VF6

Read more
Ram EV concept previews truck brand’s electric future
The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept was designed around an electric powertrain.

Electric pickup trucks are a hot trend in the auto industry, and Ram is late to the game. So the truck brand of massive automaker Stellantis needed to work hard to stand out.
Unveiled at CES 2023, the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept shows what Ram has in mind for its first production electric truck, which is scheduled to arrive in 2024. This concept version combines some features we’ve already seen on other electric trucks with a few clever new ideas. So while it may be revolutionary for the Ram brand, which is new to EVs, it’s more evolutionary when compared to other electric pickups.

Unmistakably electric
The Ram 1500 Revolution has the bulky appearance of a traditional truck, but with proportions that clearly mark it as an EV. With no need to accommodate an engine, the hood is much shorter. This allowed designers to make the cabin four inches longer than today’s internal-combustion Ram 1500 without shortening the bed, Ram claims. The grille is also smaller, although Ram compensated for this with a giant light-up logo and headlights with the same “tuning fork” elements as its current gasoline and diesel truck grilles.
The roofline is a bit lower and sleeker, which probably helps with aerodynamics, but like a traditional truck, the Revolution rolls on massive wheels and tires. The 35-inch tires are wrapped around 24-inch wheels with smooth covers and light-up elements. The charge port, meanwhile, is located in the driver’s side front fender. It makes a noise when the truck has started charging and blinks to show that charging is ongoing.
Like rival truck makers, Ram incorporated a frunk where the engine would normally be, plus the RamBox storage bins from its current trucks. Nearly every opening, including the tailgate, frunk, and charge port, is also power-operated.
Underpinning all of this power-operated convenience is the STLA Frame dedicated EV platform, one of four such platforms Stellantis plans to use for future EVs across its many brands, such as Chrysler and Jeep.

Read more