Porsche Investigated for Gasoline Engine Manipulation
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has been advised by Porsche of possible misconduct in its own engineering ranks involving gasoline engines fitted to Panamera and 911 models produced between 2008 and 2013.
Porsche has opened internal investigations into alleged software and hardware changes made to gasoline engines after they were type-approved by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
The investigation, which Porsche says is focused on possible illegal engine manipulation under German law, is claimed to center around gasoline engines fitted to Panamera and 911 models produced between 2008 and 2013.
The alleged changes are said to have been used to manipulate exhaust-gas emissions in a manner similar to the illegal filter-switching engineered into various diesel engines supplied to Porsche by sister company Audi.
In a statement to Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper on Monday, Porsche confirmed its internal investigation into possible illegal software and hardware engine changes, saying: “We found a few indications of possible misconduct.”
Porsche also has confirmed it “proactively” informed the KBA, the Stuttgart public prosecutor and U.S. authorities about the possible misconduct in “early summer.”
The KBA has opened its own investigation into Porsche’s claims of misconduct.
Meanwhile, Audi is facing allegations of possible exhaust-gas manipulation in gasoline engines in a case brought before the Offenburg district court in Germany.
The case alleges the turbocharged 2.0L gasoline 4-cyl. in the Q5 uses a steering-wheel sensor to trigger switching off the exhaust-gas recirculation and filtering, resulting in significantly higher levels of NOx emissions than those achieved in testing.
The sensor, which Audi already acknowledges was used to manipulate diesel-engine emissions, is claimed to recognize when the car isn't on a dynamometer, as used in emissions testing, and switches off the filter, providing a claimed boost in performance at the expense of extra emissions.
According to court papers, NOx emissions are up to 24.5% higher when the alleged sensor used by the Q5 2.0 TFSI triggers the switching off of the exhaust recirculation and filtering processes.
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