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Canada expands cooperation with EPA over VW scandal

It doesn't take much more than a stiff breeze to send some US pollution northward across the 49th parallel. Perhaps that's why the Canadian government says it is standing strong with the US in its continuing investigation of Volkswagen and the allegations and self-reporting that the automaker installed software to try to game emissions regulations. In fact, the Canadian government is going to do its own slate of on-road testing to see how VW diesel engines perform in real-world conditions. Last year, about 1.8 million new light-duty vehicles were sold in Canada, which is about equal to how many were sold in Maryland. That compares to about 17 million new-vehicle sales for the US. But every bit counts when it comes to an increase in potentially harmful emissions, and the Canadian government says it wants to make sure VW's diesel engines are being properly monitored, whether they're sold in Detroit, MI, or across the river in Windsor, Ontario. And that means following up – together – on allegations that Europe's biggest automaker is using so-called "defeat devices" in what it has long called its "clean diesel" engines. The automotive industry continues to be roiled by the VW scandal, in which the automaker said that as many as 11 million of its vehicles may contain software programmed to manipulate emissions-testing procedures. Volkswagen has set aside $7.3 billion to deal with the scandal, while VW CEO Martin Winterkorn was forced to step down after the issue became public. Take a look at Environment Canada's press release below. Statement - Government of Canada expands its on-going collaborative work with the U.S. EPA to assess other diesel vehicles for defeat devices OTTAWA, Sept. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - On September 22, 2015, the Government of Canada opened an investigation into Volkswagen's alleged use of defeat devices to circumvent emissions regulations. Environment Canada issued the following update on the issue: "The Government of Canada has a long history of collaborating closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to align emission standards, as well as to provide oversight and verify compliance with applicable emission regulations "Today, the Government of Canada is announcing that it has expanded its ongoing collaborative work with the U.S. EPA to assess other diesel vehicles for defeat devices and compliance issues. "Vehicles will be subject to a variety of tests including on-road testing using portable emission measurement systems.

2015 Volkswagen GTI: Clicking, beeping, and trying to stay cool [w/video]

My first car didn't have air conditioning. Well, that's not entirely true. The car had A/C, it just didn't work. Nevertheless, I survived summer after summer of sweating behind the wheel – par for the course in a 15-year-old Mitsubishi with 235,000 miles on the odometer. But it's another thing entirely when that same experience happens in a 2015 Volkswagen GTI after just 7,000 miles of use. That's how Autoblog kicked off summer with the long-term GTI: sweating in plaid seats. The car went to Suburban Volkswagen in Troy, MI, where the technicians told me the air-con just needed a recharge (despite asking them to inspect it further). They recharged it, the air blew cold, and 48 hours later, the A/C stopped working again. (Surprise!) The problem was a leak in the compressor/condenser line, so a new one was installed, the system was charged, and now it's fixed. For real this time. Unfortunately, that second-coming happened during a road trip with editor-in-chief Mike Austin at the helm. His logbook comments are, as you'd expect, appropriately salty. "Everybody loves the GTI, right? Not quite. I drove to Toronto for a weekend. On the way home, the A/C quit working. This wasn't too much of a problem until we hit the border control line to re-enter the United States. I always pick the slow line, somehow. Thusly baked in the heat, with outside temperatures above 80, the GTI didn't cool back down for the rest of the trip. Then I learned we already fixed the A/C once." "Of course, any car on that day with a surprise A/C failure would earn my ire," Austin notes. "It just seems a little more irritating on a new car. Otherwise, yeah, this is a great car." A great car, indeed. Everyone loves spending time with the GTI. It's got plenty of power, it's quiet, it's comfortable, and it eats up highway miles. We've got just over 10,000 miles on the odometer as of this writing, and as summer carries on, many editors have requested extended periods of seat time in the GTI for weekend getaways and longer road trips. But it's still not perfect. Following the A/C fiasco, there's another, more curious problem plaguing the GTI. Every time the car starts, a weird, varied-tempo, loud clicking is heard from the dash. We think it's coming from the direction of the glovebox, and it's not the same click patten every time. Sometimes it's one or two knocks, sometimes it's several. See what I mean in the video below. Weird, right? Another trip to Suburban Volkswagen offered no help.

Autoblog Minute: VW Emissions Scandal, New Ford Super-Duty

We got our first looks at look at Ford's new Super Duty truck lineup this week but it's Volkswagen that has been dominating the news cycle, as Matthias Muller is named CEO of the embattled automaker. Autoblog's Senior editor Greg Migliore reports on the recap edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] We got our first looks at look at Ford's new Super Duty truck lineup this week but it's Volkswagen that has dominated the news cycle as Matthias Muller is named CEO of the embattled automaker. I'm Senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Super Duty is new for 2017. Our first look at these heavy duty trucks showed increased cab space for passengers, and [00:00:30] a lighter aluminum frame. Ford insists these changes will provide customers with increased towing capacity and fuel efficiency. The all-new Super Duty will be built at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, and it goes on sale in late 2016. Now, in case you missed it Volkswagen is under fire for gaming EPA emissions testing. A massive government recall is in the works and the world's top-selling automaker is looking at significant losses in both car sales and its stock value. On top of losing billions of dollars, Volkswagen is also facing [00:01:00] legal issues. And this week we saw Martin Winterkorn step down as CEO of Volkswagen Group. These changes mark just the beginning of VW's arduous process of rebuilding consumer trust. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday, plus some added insight on the Buick Cascada and its pricing strategy. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.