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Audi will submit emissions fix for 3.0 TDI V6 to EPA and CARB

Audi will develop a software update for the emissions control system on Volkswagen Group's 3.0 TDI V6 and will submit the changes to the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board for approval. If the government regulators accept it, the tweaks could end the emissions problems for an estimated 85,000 of these engines in the US in Audi, Porsche, and VW models. However, the stop-sale still covers these vehicles until further notice. Audi admits in its statement to failing to disclose three "auxiliary emission control devices" on the V6 to regulators, and US law considers one of these systems a defeat device. VW Group offered the engine in the US on the Audi A6, A7, A8, Q5, and Q7 since the 2009 model year. The mill was also available on the VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne. The EPA filed a violation against the 3.0 TDI on November 2 because the agency reported that the engine's software contained a defeat device to circumvent emissions tests. The regulator recently extended that notice to cover these powerplants in the US from the 2009 to 2016 model years. Audi's statement vaguely estimates the price of this problem to be in the "mid-double-digit millions of euros," and the automaker could face financial punishment by regulators. "Determinations regarding potential penalties and other remedies will be assessed as part of the investigation EPA has opened in conjunction with the US Department of Justice," an EPA spokesperson told Automotive News. Related Video: Statement on Audi's discussions with the US environmental authorities EPA and CARB Auxiliary emission control devices (AECD) for US version of V6 TDI 3 liter engine to be revised, documented and submitted for approval Technical solution for North America versions from 2009 model year onwards to be worked out in conjunction with the authorities Audi will revise, document in detail, and resubmit for US approval certain parameters of the engine-management software used in the V6 TDI 3 liter diesel engine. That is the result of the discussions held between a delegation from AUDI AG and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The updated software will be installed as soon as it is approved by the authorities. The three brands Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen are affected. Audi estimates that the related expense will be in the mid-double-digit millions of euros.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW to test autonomous cars, Korea bans sales of BMW, Nissan, Porsche models

BMW will test autonomous cars on public roads by the second half of 2017. The German automaker, with partners Mobileye and Intel, will operate a fleet of 40 self-driving vehicles using a "scalable architecture" that will be made available to other automakers. The partners plan to offer products ranging from key components to "a complete end-to-end solution" for autonomous driving. Since parting ways with Tesla, Mobileye also recently announced it would provide its technology to Lucid Motors. For BMW, it all leads up to its fully autonomous iNext model slated for introduction in 2021. See the video above, and read more in the press release from Intel. South Korea has banned the sale of certain models from BMW, Nissan, and Porsche over emissions cheating. Following an investigation, regulators determined emissions testing documents to be falsified. The country's Ministry of Environment has fined the three automakers a total of $5.9 million, and revoked the certification of 4,523 vehicles across banned 10 models. Six of the models were still on sale, while the other four have been discontinued. Read more from Automotive News Europe. China's prices for the Cadillac CT6 Plug-in are significantly higher than those announced for the US. The plug-in hybrid version of the luxury sedan recently went on sale with the two variants priced at RMB 558,800 and RMB 658,800. At the time of this writing, that's $80,420 and $94,812. Cadillac announced it would bring the CT6 Plug-In Í– which is built in China – to the US in the spring of 2017, starting at $76,090 before federal and local tax incentives. Hybrid Cars points out that China's own generous incentives could help to make it more competitive. The offering of a charger with free installation as well as an eight-year warranty on the electric powertrain should help, too. Read more at Hybrid Cars. A Connecticut court has ruled in favor of Tesla's gallery showroom in Greenwich. Last May, the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association brought the suit to block the showroom on Greenwich Avenue, which has now been dismissed by the Connecticut Superior Court. Tesla cannot offer test drives, sell cars, or operate a Supercharger at the location, but it can sell other branded items and educate the public about its vehicles. It's possible that the issue of Tesla's direct sales model could come up again this year in Connecticut state legislature. Read more at Teslarati .