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Comment by boomboomsubban | Hacker News Reader

>as a “surprise guest” to drive home the point that VW needs faster decisions and less bureaucracy for what he called the biggest transformation in VW’s history

So was cheating on their emissions testing a slow bureaucratic decision? I sure hope dropping that caution will allow them to develop safe, environment friendly cars in the future.

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I’m positively surprised that people still remember and call out VW on Dieselgate. My wife and I are in the market for a car and VW doesnt even make the shortlist because of that stunt.

Consider that there aren’t really any good guys here. Other manufacturers have done similar things. It’s like doping in sports — usually only the flagrant or stupid cheaters get caught, and the cleanest racers are the ones who got caught last time.

“In May 2016, German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt said that Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Opel and Porsche would all adjust settings that increased emission levels such as nitrogen dioxide in some diesel cars.” — https://www.bbc.com/news/business-36112333

The emissions were still a lot less than what was allowed 10 or 20 years prior. I really don't think it's such a big deal. I'd honestly pick an emissions-cheating car over another, all things held equal, because it probably performs better and gets better mileage. The pollution of your individual car is really nothing compared to industrial emissions.

These regulations are for not just for "the environment" but also for local air quality, i.e. the air you breathe in. Cities don't have much industry but they do have a lot of cars.

I get the impression that it may have been. The upper-level management set goals that were both conservative and impractical (diesel cars that didn't use DEF but passed new emissions standards), and once it became clear they couldn't accomplish that they resorted to cheating instead of rethinking their strategy.

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