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| New Type of Emissions Cheating Software May Lurk in Audis | New Type of Emissions Cheating Software May Lurk in Audis |
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| FRANKFURT — The investigation into emissions fraud at Volkswagen widened on Saturday after the company acknowledged that United States and German regulators were examining why some Audi luxury cars and sport utility vehicles behaved differently during tests than they did on the road. | FRANKFURT — The investigation into emissions fraud at Volkswagen widened on Saturday after the company acknowledged that United States and German regulators were examining why some Audi luxury cars and sport utility vehicles behaved differently during tests than they did on the road. |
| The disclosure raises suspicions that Volkswagen used a new type of emissions cheating software in some Audis. | The disclosure raises suspicions that Volkswagen used a new type of emissions cheating software in some Audis. |
| Volkswagen is already in deep trouble for programming 11 million diesel cars worldwide to provide artificially low emissions levels during official tests, and then lying to regulators in the United States for more than a year after officials noticed discrepancies. | Volkswagen is already in deep trouble for programming 11 million diesel cars worldwide to provide artificially low emissions levels during official tests, and then lying to regulators in the United States for more than a year after officials noticed discrepancies. |
| The company, which has agreed to pay $16.5 billion to settle lawsuits by owners and dealers in the United States, could face further severe consequences if it turns out that the fraud was more widespread than previously believed and that the company has failed to be forthright with officials. | The company, which has agreed to pay $16.5 billion to settle lawsuits by owners and dealers in the United States, could face further severe consequences if it turns out that the fraud was more widespread than previously believed and that the company has failed to be forthright with officials. |
| In a statement on Saturday, Volkswagen tacitly confirmed a report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that some Audis with automatic transmissions behaved differently when the cars were being tested. If the software that controlled the transmission detected testing conditions, according to the newspaper, the cars shifted in a way that would produce less carbon dioxide. In normal use, the cars used a shifting sequence intended to provide better performance. | |
| Audi did not identify the models involved. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Audi owners in United States District Court in Minnesota on Thursday, they include 100,000 Audi A6 and A8 luxury sedans and Q5 and Q7 S.U.V.s with 3-liter gasoline engines manufactured through May. The cars sensed that they were undergoing stationary tests on rollers if the steering wheel did not move more than 15 degrees. | Audi did not identify the models involved. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Audi owners in United States District Court in Minnesota on Thursday, they include 100,000 Audi A6 and A8 luxury sedans and Q5 and Q7 S.U.V.s with 3-liter gasoline engines manufactured through May. The cars sensed that they were undergoing stationary tests on rollers if the steering wheel did not move more than 15 degrees. |
| Representatives for Volkswagen and its Audi division acknowledged that regulators were looking at why some models shifted differently during tests. But the company suggested that any discrepancies were not a deliberate attempt to cheat. | Representatives for Volkswagen and its Audi division acknowledged that regulators were looking at why some models shifted differently during tests. But the company suggested that any discrepancies were not a deliberate attempt to cheat. |
| “In the testing situation,” Audi said in a statement on Saturday, “dynamic shift programs can lead to incorrect readings and results that cannot be reproduced.” | “In the testing situation,” Audi said in a statement on Saturday, “dynamic shift programs can lead to incorrect readings and results that cannot be reproduced.” |
| Volkswagen admitted last year that it had manipulated 11 million diesel cars, including 500,000 in the United States, to grossly understate emissions of nitrogen oxides, which cause lung ailments and contribute to smog and global warming. The latest accusations involve emissions of carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Regulators in Europe and the United States have tightened standards for carbon dioxide emissions in recent years. | Volkswagen admitted last year that it had manipulated 11 million diesel cars, including 500,000 in the United States, to grossly understate emissions of nitrogen oxides, which cause lung ailments and contribute to smog and global warming. The latest accusations involve emissions of carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Regulators in Europe and the United States have tightened standards for carbon dioxide emissions in recent years. |
| The previous accusations, which affected mostly Volkswagen vehicles but also some Audi and Porsche cars, involved only diesel models sold from 2009 to 2015. | The previous accusations, which affected mostly Volkswagen vehicles but also some Audi and Porsche cars, involved only diesel models sold from 2009 to 2015. |
| The California Air Resources Board is taking the lead in testing Audis in the United States, according to the lawsuit. The agency, which also did much of the detective work to expose cheating with Volkswagen’s diesel models, said it could not comment on a pending investigation. The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, which is responsible for enforcing emissions standards in Germany, did not reply to a request for comment. | The California Air Resources Board is taking the lead in testing Audis in the United States, according to the lawsuit. The agency, which also did much of the detective work to expose cheating with Volkswagen’s diesel models, said it could not comment on a pending investigation. The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, which is responsible for enforcing emissions standards in Germany, did not reply to a request for comment. |
| The revelations came a week after Volkswagen disclosed that the chairman of its supervisory board, Hans Dieter Pötsch, was under investigation for violating German securities laws in connection with the emissions fraud. | The revelations came a week after Volkswagen disclosed that the chairman of its supervisory board, Hans Dieter Pötsch, was under investigation for violating German securities laws in connection with the emissions fraud. |
| If it turns out that more cars had illegal software known as “defeat devices,” Volkswagen could face even more criticism that it remains in denial, is still run by the many of the same people who were in charge while the wrongdoing was taking place and is unable to contain the damage to the carmaker’s finances and reputation. | If it turns out that more cars had illegal software known as “defeat devices,” Volkswagen could face even more criticism that it remains in denial, is still run by the many of the same people who were in charge while the wrongdoing was taking place and is unable to contain the damage to the carmaker’s finances and reputation. |
| Mr. Pötsch was the longtime chief financial officer at Volkswagen before becoming supervisory board chairman in October. He is suspected of failing to notify shareholders quickly enough of the financial risks of the diesel emissions cheating scandal. | Mr. Pötsch was the longtime chief financial officer at Volkswagen before becoming supervisory board chairman in October. He is suspected of failing to notify shareholders quickly enough of the financial risks of the diesel emissions cheating scandal. |
| An internal company document from 2013, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, offers clues to the origin of the software believed to be used in concealing the true carbon dioxide emissions of the Audi vehicles. The document, reported by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, recorded the outcome of test drives of new vehicles in southern Africa in February 2013. It was standard procedure at Volkswagen to test new vehicles in South Africa and Namibia, where top executives critiqued performance and ordered changes. | An internal company document from 2013, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, offers clues to the origin of the software believed to be used in concealing the true carbon dioxide emissions of the Audi vehicles. The document, reported by the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, recorded the outcome of test drives of new vehicles in southern Africa in February 2013. It was standard procedure at Volkswagen to test new vehicles in South Africa and Namibia, where top executives critiqued performance and ordered changes. |
| According to the document, a high-ranking manager asked, “When will the cycle-optimized shifting program be available?” | According to the document, a high-ranking manager asked, “When will the cycle-optimized shifting program be available?” |
| “Cycle optimization” is code for software or other equipment that allows cars to perform differently when they are undergoing official test cycles on rollers in a lab. | “Cycle optimization” is code for software or other equipment that allows cars to perform differently when they are undergoing official test cycles on rollers in a lab. |
| The document noted that “the shifting program should be configured to be 100 percent active on rollers but only 0.01 percent for customers.” | The document noted that “the shifting program should be configured to be 100 percent active on rollers but only 0.01 percent for customers.” |
| Volkswagen is being investigated in the United States not only for programming cars to cheat but also for orchestrating a cover-up starting in early 2014 after tests first cast doubt on what the company claimed were “clean diesel” cars. The company still faces federal and state fines for its behavior, and some executives could be charged with crimes. | Volkswagen is being investigated in the United States not only for programming cars to cheat but also for orchestrating a cover-up starting in early 2014 after tests first cast doubt on what the company claimed were “clean diesel” cars. The company still faces federal and state fines for its behavior, and some executives could be charged with crimes. |