Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/604488
ByTomKrisher The Associated Press DETROIT When Volkswa- gen submits a plan to fix emissions-cheating diesel engines on Friday, it will have only two options for most of the cars. It can install a bigger ex- haust system to trap harm- ful nitrogen oxide, or it can retrofit a chemical treat- ment process that cuts pol- lution. The bigger exhaust will likely hurt performance and gas mileage, angering car owners. But the chem- ical treatment, while sav- ing acceleration and mile- age, needs a clumsy storage tank and multiple hardware changes to work. In either case, almost a half-million cars would have to be re- called for the repairs. Experts say both options will be expensive, perhaps so costly that it will be cheaper to buy back some of the older models. "I think they know right now how to do the fix," said Alan Baum, a consultant in Detroit who advises auto- makers on fuel-economy regulations. "The harder part of this is ... how do you actually execute it?" VW has until Friday to submit a draft plan to fix four-cylinder diesels to the U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency and the Califor- nia Air Resources Board, the two agencies that forced the German automaker to admit to the cheating. The company was to meet with the agencies on Thursday, with a final submission on Friday. VW's board also is to meet Friday and may dis- cuss the repairs. The plan, which is likely to have several options for regulators to consider, must be tested by the agencies to make sure the fixes comply with pollution laws. Testing and installation could take more than a year. In September, Volkswa- gen admitted that about 482,000 U.S. cars with 2-Liter diesel engines from the 2009 through 2015 model years have soft- ware that turns pollution controls on during govern- ment treadmill tests and shuts them off when on real roads. As a result, the cars emit 10 to 40 times the allowable limit of ni- trogen oxide, a chemical ingredient of smog that can cause breathing prob- lems. The U.S. admission trig- gered a much larger one for the rest of the world: VW has said another 10.5 mil- lion cars worldwide have the same deceptive soft- ware and will need to be repaired. In addition, the EPA has accused VW of cheating a second time, programming about 10,000 VW and Audi vehicles with larger six-cyl- inder diesel engines to emit fewerpollutantsduringtests than in real-world driving. The company also has with- drawn its application to get emissions controls approved on four-cylinder diesels for the 2016 model year, and the government is investi- gating whether VW cheated on those. Any recall would affect Jetta, Golf, Beetle, Passat and Audi A3 four-cylin- der diesels. About 157,000 of those cars from 2015 plus 2012-2014 Passats likely can be fixed with relatively simple software changes. But 325,000 of the cars from 2009 to 2014 will need the complex and ex- pensive hardware fixes as well as software. VW U.S. CEO Michael Horn has said it could take a year or longer for those cars to be fixed. The most likely fix for the bulk of the cars is a treat- ment system with urea, a chemical that's injected into the exhaust system and helps separate nitrogen ox- ide into harmless nitrogen and oxygen. The company also could use a bigger nitrogen oxide trap, but engine settings would have to be changed to flush it out periodically, and that would cut into per- formance and gas mileage. John German, senior fel- low with the International Council on Clean Transpor- tation, the group that spon- sored the on-road testing that exposed the cheating, said the older VWs were not designed to handle urea treatment systems, making a solution a complex chal- lenge for engineers. Space must be found for the urea storage tank, pos- sibly taking precious trunk room. Urea can freeze, so the storage tank must be kept warm. The urea tank has to be refilled periodi- cally, so a refilling method has to be designed and in- stalled. Lines have to be run to take urea from the tanks to the exhaust system and an injection system added, said German, who esti- mates that hardware, de- sign, and installation costs would likely exceed $1,000 per car. EMISSIONS VWhasonlyafewcostlyoptionstofixpollutingdiesels MICHAELPROBST—ASSOCIATEDPRESS The logo of Volkswagen is on a car at the Car Show in Frankfurt, Germany. CHRIS CARLSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Volkswagen has until Friday to submit a dra plan to fix diesel models affected by the emissions cheating scandal. 7875 HWY 99E LOS MOLINOS, CA 384-1265 Nosubstitutions ORDERS TO GO Served 6:30am- 2:00pm Mon.-Fri. BreakfastSpecial NewYork Steak 2 Eggs HashBrownsor Home Fries, Toast $ 8 99 ECY PRESS AVE HARTNELL AVE BECHELLI LN 5 H E M S T E D D R i STORE HOURS: MON-SAT 8:00am–8:00pm | SUN 10:00am–6:00pm Call us at [530] 223-1132 SHOP: LITHIACHEVROLETREDDING.COM *DownPaymentAssist:MustfinancewithWellsFargo,AllyorGMFinancial,onapprovedcredit.Expires11/26/15.Plusgovernmentfeesandtaxes, any finance charges, $80 dealer document processing charge, any electronic filing charge and any emission testing charge. All ad prices are for in stock vehicles only. See dealer for limited warranty details. LITHIA CHEVROLET OF REDDING 200 East Cypress Avenue [Entrance off Hemsted] SeHabla Español! BLACKFRIDAYALLMONTHLONG! BLACKFRIDAYALL MONTH LONG! '12DODGEGRCARAVAN PriorRental,DVDEntertainSystem #CR228780R $ 16,997 '06 CHEVY COLORADO Prior Rental, Crew Cab, LT w/1LT #68124456RA $ 11,997 '13 FORD ESCAPE #DUC26156 $ 15,997 '05 FORD FOCUS SE #5W215099 $ 6,997 '15 CHEVROLET EQUINOX LT, All Wheel Drive, Prior Rental #F6107659CR $ 22,997 '04 CHEVROLET TAHOE #4J260009 $ 10,997 '03 AUDI A4 #3A268958 $ 6,997 '14 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, Prior Rental #E1156909CR $ 14,997 '09 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500, 5.3L Engine #9G205541 $ 25,497 '13 NISSAN PATHFINDER #DC625171 $ 24,997 '02 LINCOLN TOWNCAR #2Y654148 $ 5,997 '08 PONTIAC TORRENT AWD, Heated Seats #86050241 $ 11,997 '13 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500, Double Cab, LT, 4x4 #DZ129082CA $ 27,997 '06 DODGE DAKOTA Prior Rental #6S532647R $ 12,997 '10 CHEVROLET MALIBU #AF247187 $ 12,997 '10 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4WD, Prior Rental #AUA14503R $ 12,997 '09 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 Coupe #95105665 $ 48,997 '14 CHEVROLET CAPTIVA Sport, Prior Rental #ES556223CR $ 16,997 '02 FORD EXPLORER Sport Trac, 4x4 #2UB86480 $ 7,997 '14 FORD FIESTA Prior Rental #EM125586R $ 11,997 '02 DODGE DAKOTA Prior Rental, Quad Cab #2S638935R $ 6,997 NEW2015CHEVY CA MAR O 1 LT $ 23,904 NET COST TO YOU MSRP.................... $31,130 BLK FRI DISCOUNT ..-$1,000 LITHIAPRICE.....$30,130 BLK FRI REBATE...... -$6,226 #F9160342 - Blue Velvet w/Silver Indy Stripes $ 7,225! YOU SAVE ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! NEW 2015 CHEVY SP ARK LS MANU AL $ 10,831 NET COST TO YOU ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! MSRP .. .................. $13,095 BLK FRI DISCOUNT .... -$300 LITHIA PRICE ..... $12,795 BONUS TAG ............ -$1,964 $ 2,264! YOU SAVE #FC800911 - Salsa NEW 2015 CHEVY CRUZE L #F7187215, #F7247362 - Red Hot ONLY2LEFTINSTOCKATTHISPRICE! ONLY2LEFTINSTOCKATTHISPRICE! $ 15,187 YOUR PRICE MSRP.................... $16,995 BLK FRI DISCOUNT ..-$1,808 $ 1,808! YOU SAVE NEW 2016 CHEVY COLORADO CREWCAB4X4-5INSTOCKTOCHOOSEFROM 2016 MOTOR TREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR®! 2016 MOTOR TREND TRUCK OF THE YEAR®! NEW 2015 CHEVY SIL VERA DO 2500 HD DURAMAX CREW CAB 4X4 LTZ $ 58,690 NET COST TO YOU #FF659569 - Black MSRP.................... $65,860 BLK FRI DISCOUNT .. -$2,420 LITHIA PRICE ..... $63,440 FACTORY REBATE ... -$2,000 BONUS TAG ............ -$1,750 PAYMENT ASSIST* .. -$1,000 $ 7,170! SAVE UP TO ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! NEW 2015 CHEVY SIL VE RADO 15 00 CREW CAB LT 4X4 - 5.3L V8 $ 37,648 NET COST TO YOU #FF204844 - Summit White MSRP.................... $46,500 BLK FRI DISCOUNT .. -$2,352 LITHIA PRICE ..... $44,148 FACTORY REBATE ... -$1,500 ALLSTAR BONUS..... -$1,000 NOV BONUS CASH ..... -$750 BONUS TAG ............ -$2,250 PAYMENT ASSIST* .. -$1,000 $ 8,852! SAVE UP TO ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! ONLY1INSTOCKATTHISPRICE! www.tehamaestatesretirement.com Call For Rent Special FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B