Colorado Rep. DeGette Questions VW During Congressional Hearing
DENVER (CBS4) - A Congressional panel was held a hearing Thursday to look into the emissions cheating scandal by Volkswagen with a Colorado representative taking center stage.
VW first confessed the deception to U.S. regulators on Sept. 3, more than a year after researchers at West Virginia University first published a study showing the real-world emissions of the company's Jetta and Passat models were far higher than allowed. The same cars had met emissions standards when tested in the lab.
Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Democrat, had some questions for VW. She sits on the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, which will hold the hearing this Thursday. The committee has a long history of investigating car maker scandals.
"VW hasn't revealed how the deceit device affects the engine, why it was installed, and how it was able to obey the emissions test. You haven't revealed when and how the engines equipped with this device will be fixed. You haven't told us whether this fix will affect fuel economy or performance of the vehicles," said DeGette.
There are about 3,000 of the VW diesel cars on the road in Colorado. While they represent a small percentage of the total cars in Colorado; they are a significant percentage of the sales at VW dealerships where hundreds of the cars are sitting idle on their lots.
Volkswagen plans to withdraw applications seeking U.S. emissions certifications for its 2016 model Jettas, Golfs, Passats and Beetles with diesel engines, raising the possibility that an emissions-rigging device similar to earlier models is also included in its new cars.
VW has admitted that four-cylinder diesel cars from the 2009 to 2015 model years had software that helped the cars cheat on emissions tests. The admission came after the company was confronted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California regulators, touching off a worldwide scandal that involves 11 million vehicles.
By withdrawing the applications for the 2016 models, VW is leaving thousands of diesel vehicles stranded at ports nationwide, giving dealers no new diesel-powered vehicles to sell.
