photo: Emma-Sofia Olsson & amp; Erik G Svensson / TT
Volkswagen scandal exploded with full force on 18 September 2015.
It was about the auto industry used manipulated software to meet the emission limits for nitrogen oxide emissions. Outside the laboratory environment, in what is called reality, turned out cars of the Volkswagen group emit up to 40 times more nitrogen oxides.
Outwardly says neither governments or authorities in the EU have known about the problem until it became public last fall.
Transport Agency learned of suspected exhaust
manipulations full three years before the scandal exploded.
But, as SvD Business has been previously reported, alerted the European Commission about cheating in the automotive industry for several years before the scandal exploded. Despite that, and although emissions have very serious environmental and health consequences, no action was taken to stop the cheating.
And now SvD Business reveal that Swedish Transport Agency learned of suspected exhaust manipulations – and specifically NOx emissions – a full three years before the scandal exploded. But despite the warning seems no one in authority has acted.
The email was sent on 25 May 2012, at 11:26. An upset official at the European Commission wrote to several Member States – including Swedish Transport Agency – suspicious exhaust manipulations within the EU.
the email, which SvD have read, can only be interpreted in one way: a cry for help since the automotive industry refused to implement testing methods that show NOx emissions under real conditions.
the background to the email is a meeting in Brussels between the various stakeholders in a working group at the top level in the EU, where they discussed the particular test methods of emissions. In addition, the Commission was attended by representatives from the automotive industry, the EU’s own test center (Joint Research Centre) and some civil society organizations (NGOs).
According to the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel was the background to the EU Commission noted something strange: Air quality in big cities improved significantly slower than the more stringent environmental rules should be applied.
It was decided to let examine the matter in the EU own laboratory and used a technique with portable test equipment that is placed in cars luggage space. The technique is called PEMS (Freeway Performance Measurement System). The big difference from existing emissions test is that PEMs measure nitric oxide under real conditions on the road – not in a laboratory environment.
the Swedish Transport Agency would not even feel when the mail. When SvD requesting it from the authority is gone.
Later, it was precisely this PEMS technology in the United States revealed Volkswagen’s extensive emissions cheating.
However, EU opposed the auto industry vigorously the introduction of the same technology. And this is what the email is about.
In mejlets introduction says: “It was quite obvious that the car manufacturers are strongly opposed to the introduction of PEMS in all kinds of tests, while we are confident that the PEMs is imperative to measure nitric oxide. “
the concerned service mannnen in Brussels writes straight out that there is a great risk that the car manufacturers’ negative attitude is a product that they want to” keep the current test cycle because it means that it is ‘easier’ to reach the requirements, which opens the door for beating the cycle (which must be avoided). “
Cycle beating means to cheat their way through the cycle. This can be done by using a special software that reduces emissions during the tests: ie precisely what Volkswagen unveiled to do.
The official of the Commission comes in the mail with a sharp proposal to still partially introduce a portable Pemstest – and wants feedback on this, as it turned out, burning topic.
However, if the feedback came or not we do not know. Transport Agency would not even feel when the mail. When SvD requesting it from the authority is gone.
SvD sent a first request on 18 July. When requested all correspondence between the European Commission and the Swedish Transport Agency in May 2012. The day after the Transport Agency will send out e-mail correspondence – but the current e-mail is not.
SvD Business will then send a new request on 21 July. It specifies the request further, but neither this request, give a pacifier. SvD then sends a third request – and further highlights that there should be an email from the European Commission “May 25, 2012 sent to someone on the Transport Agency.”
Even then get SvD part of the current email as SvD already have a copy of, the Transport Agency as one of the recipients.
