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Audi exec suspended over diesel scandal

So far, just one lower-level employee has plead guilty in the ongoing VW diesel scandal. Up high, the VW CEO when the scandal broke, Martin Winterkorn, resigned right after the news came out. Other executives have also quit or been suspended as well. Today, we learn that one more executive is feeling the heat a year into the scandal. Stefan Knirsch, the head of technical development at Audi and Audi board member, is going to be suspended from his position this week because of his ties to the technology that VW Group used to cheat emissions tests. The German newspaper Bild Am Sonntag reports that Knirsch not only knew that the cheating software existed but also lied about it under oath. Knirsch previously worked at Porsche and then Audi's electrification division. He left Audi's EV efforts behind in early 2015. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Government/Legal Green Audi Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal audi diesel diesel scandal

Recharge Wrap-up: Zero takes electric motorcycles to cop expos, Chevy Volt powers dealership's Internet

Zero Motorcycles will be at three law enforcement conferences this month, including COPSWEST Training and Expo, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Vehicle Test and Emergency Vehicle Product Expo and International Association of Chiefs of Police Expo. Zero will display its recently debuted 2015 line of electric motorcycles at the events including the new FXP, a police-duty version of it FX "Stealthfighter." Zero also offers the MMX, SP and DSP for police and military use. Learn more about the events in the press release below. Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn told European regulators that more stringent emissions standards too soon will be a major problem for automakers. He says that such moves could prove "fatal" for an auto industry that is still working to develop cleaner vehicles. "Every gram of CO2 that we save in our European fleet costs our group almost 100 million euros," says Winterkorn, "100 million that we have to invest in advance, without knowing when these investments pay off." He says that already creating emissions targets beyond those set for 2020 could harm European automakers competing globally. Read more at Automotive News Europe. When a Detroit Chevrolet dealership lost its Internet connection, it turned to one of its Chevy Volts for a temporary fix. After the regular connection at Buff Whelan Chevrolet went down, it plugged in a Volt showroom model equipped with 4G LTE, and used its connection to resume business. The car can handle up to seven connected devices, so the team used a Malibu to connect the rest of its computers. When a customer asked why the Volt was on, the team explained the whole situation, leading to one impressed customer. Read more at Automotive News. Zero Motorcycles To Attend Law Enforcement Conferences 2015 Police and Authority Motorcycles to Appear at IACP SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, announced today that it is attending three leading law enforcement conferences in October: - COPSWEST Training and Expo. October 6-9, 2014. Long Beach, California. - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Vehicle Test and Emergency Vehicle Product Expo. October 16, 2014. Fontana, California. - IACP Conference and Expo. October 25-28, 2014. Orlando, Florida. "These events provide a great opportunity to present our patrol motorcycles and accessories.

West Virginia sues VW for fraud, asks for major financial penalty

It took just four researchers, including two students, at West Virginia University doing some emissions tests eventually to engulf Volkswagen in an international scandal that has been raging for weeks. Now, the state's attorney general Patrick Morrisey has filed a formal complaint against the automaker's US branch for violating the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act. His argument alleges that VW "fraudulently manufactured, advertised, and sold" these polluting diesel vehicles as being good for the environment. If the West Virginia case is successful, VW could be on the hook for serious monetary punishment. Morrisey asks that any consumers in the state get refunds totaling the premium paid over a gasoline model, the loss in resale value, and the expected costs of lost performance from the upcoming recall repair. On top of that, the automaker would pay the state $5,000 for each violating vehicle and all of the related costs for preparing for the trial. According to the complaint's legal documents (here, as a PDF), the state's DMV currently shows 2,684, diesel 2009-2015 VW vehicles registered there. Morrisey isn't the only state attorney general to take a stern look at VW's actions, and his counterparts in at least 29 other states are investigation similar courses of action, as well. In addition, the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency have their own probes underway. The final result could be very expensive for the automaker. Attorney General Patrick Morrisey Files Complaint Against Volkswagen of America, LLC 10/5/2015 CHARLESTON — Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced today that his Office filed a complaint against Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Volkswagen), alleging the business violated the West Virginia Consumer Credit and Protection Act. The complaint alleges that Volkswagen fraudulently manufactured, advertised and sold a line of "clean diesel" vehicles with Turbo-charged Direct Injection (TDI) engines. "Volkswagen allegedly knowingly engineered certain vehicles to cheat U.S. emissions tests," Attorney General Morrisey said. "That is one reason why we have filed this complaint." A May 2014 study conducted by the Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines & Emissions at West Virginia University found elevated levels of emissions on several Volkswagen cars. Their data was then turned over to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board.