2004 Audi A4 3.0l Quatro on 2040-cars

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New info on how VW, Porsche, Audi V6 TDI engine cheat works

The German newspaper Bild am Sonntag is reporting that US investigators have found three pieces of software that work in concert to turn off the emissions control equipment in certain diesel models after a set period of time. The engine in question, the 3.0-liter TDI turbodiesel, was found in certain Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, and Porsche Cayenne models – the sale of which was suspended in the US late last year. Since most emissions compliance testing takes around 20 minutes, the software in the three VW Group models shuts off the emissions control equipment after 22 minutes, a straightforward end run around the testing. Remember that the 3.0-liter TDI engines aren't included in the big buyback and recall program announced for the smaller 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TDI engines. The 3.0-liter engines will likely get their own program, but we don't know when to expect it or exactly what it will look like. Last month, California rejected a proposed fix for the larger TDI engines, and VW went back to the drawing board. Since the company is unlikely to create two fixes, one for California and one for the rest of the nation, the company can't really proceed until they figure out a solution California will accept. The EPA hasn't officially commented on the report, and we don't know how Bild am Sonntag came across the information, but we'll be closely watching what emerges after this report. Related Video:

Audi says 13% of A3 sales are E-Tron plug-in hybrids

Audi's most recent metric for plug-in sales of its A3 Sportback line brings up the classic "glass half full" or "glass half empty" conundrum. The German automaker says that almost 13 percent of its A3 sales during the past year have been of the E-Tron plug-in hybrid variety. That's a decent rate, and a notable one because Audi said late last year that it was hoping that as much as a quarter of its global sales will be plug-in vehicles by 2025. The 2017 model-year Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron has the same specs as the 2016 version, featuring a 1.4-liter engine paired with an electric motor that together deliver 204 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The 2016 version was rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as having an 86 miles per gallon-equivalent rating, and was estimated to be able to go as far as 16 miles on electricity alone. Audi notes that the EPA hasn't yet rated the 2017 version, but we expect it to be the same. The plug-in hybrid can zip from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds. As for that 13-percent figure, Audi didn't specify if that meant US or global sales. The company moved 19,622 A3s in the US through July. At 13 percent, Audi would've sold about 2,500 A3 plug-in hybrids. To put that in perspective, the Ford Fusion and C-Max Energi PHEVs have moved 8,576 and 8,155 units this year, respectively. Audi of America president Scott Keogh said on the eve of last year's Los Angeles Auto Show in November that he wanted 25 percent of Audi sales to be plug-ins by 2025. The following month, Audi said it was hitting that 25-percent threshold in Norway and the Netherlands, where citizens tend to be a bit more plug-in-centric than Americans. But it's a good start. Check out our First Drive impressions of the 2016 A3 E-Tron here. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron News Source: Audi Green Audi Hybrid PHEV e-tron audi e-tron sportback a3

Audi CEO announces new electrified car each year starting in 2018

Audi is preparing an aggressive (and possibly desperate) plan to electrify its lineup following the disastrous diesel emissions scandal. CEO Rupert Stadler announced the plan during the company's Annual General Meeting in Ingolstadt. "Starting in 2018, we will launch another electrified car each year," Stadler said. This is easily the most dramatic statement we've heard about electrification since Audi of America President Scott Keogh told Autoblog that one out of every four Audi models will have some kind of plug-in capacity by 2025. This new push for electrics will kick off with Audi's long-awaited all-electric CUV. We've already known about this guy for a while – according to our conversation with Keogh, it will be based on the E-Tron Quattro Concept first shown at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. And earlier this year, Audi even went as far as confirming its Brussels, Belgium factory will screw together the new EV. Speaking of those batteries, Audi expects them to match the 310-mile range promised by the E-Tron Quattro. What we're really eager to see, of course, is what Audi has planned after 2018. Will we get an all-electric A4 to battle the Tesla Model 3? An A7 E-Tron to challenge the Model S? Or will Audi go with a segment Tesla hasn't exploited yet? Expect a few years before we get answers to those questions. Beyond the EV announcement, Stadler also confirmed the next-generation Audi A8 will debut in 2017. The new luxury sedan will be capable of driving itself at speeds up to 37 miles per hour, fitting with previous reports. From there, Stadler expects to "see fully automated driving" by 2025. Related Video: