SPAIN has called for answers from car manufacturer Volkswagen, but has decided not to take legal action – even though ITV inspectors say they would be unable to tell whether or not a car's emissions data had been tampered with.
Motor vehicles in Spain undergo compulsory roadworthiness inspections every two years until they are 10 years old, and then annually thereafter, known as an ITV – the Spanish answer to an MOT in Britain – and many regional governments include emissions levels as part of the pass-or-fail criteria.
But head of the association for ITV centres, Enrique García, says the software installed by the German car manufacturer to rig emissions data – uncovered in the USA – would go undetected during the test.
“During ITV tests, it is forbidden to dismantle any element of the car,” reveals García.
“This would make it impossible for a scam like this to be detected.
“The only emissions which can be picked up and measured during ITV inspections are those which come out of the exhaust pipe.
“We can only uncover rigging if we find a car is making a strange noise, or there is some visual element which appears suspicious.”
Four Volkswagen Group models – the Golf, Beetle, Jetta and Audi A3 where they were made in or after 2009, and the Passat where it was manufactured in or later than 2014 – have had their emissions 'masked' before they reach the exhaust pipe.
Emissions-masking software on diesel cars fitted by Volkswagen means when the vehicle is checked, it appears to be giving off far less CO2 than it actually is – in practice, the true emissions are likely to be between five and 35 times what is shown on the car's system.
Some regions in Spain, such as Valencia and Madrid, test the level of particles in exhaust fumes, and an estimated 10% to 20% of cars which fail their ITV do so because their emissions are too high.
The picture shows what a 'new' Volkswagen Beetle looks like, although the one in the photo was registered in 2007 and does not therefore carry the fraudulent software.
