German transport authorities are reportedly investigating BMW over potential emissions cheating related to its X3 medium SUVs equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine.
The investigation was initiated following allegations by Environmental Action Germany, an organization focused on environmental protection and consumer rights, claiming that the emissions control systems in X3 2.0d variants were manipulated to comply with certification standards only during lab tests.
According to the allegations, the emissions controls could be adjusted or deactivated under certain conditions, such as when the air-conditioning is turned on, deviating from typical test conditions.
This situation draws parallels to a case in the mid-1990s involving General Motors, which agreed to pay a $45 million fine after accusations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that some Cadillac models disabled emissions controls when the air-conditioning was in use.
It is understood that the affected BMW X3s are pre-facelift F25 (second-generation) models manufactured between 2010 and 2014. Environmental Action Germany’s suspicions were initially aroused by a significant increase in emissions when the air-conditioning was activated.
It remains uncertain whether Australian-delivered X3 xDrive20d vehicles were equipped with the alleged emissions cheat or if any potential increase in pollution output would have violated local environmental regulations.
A specific scenario highlighted involved outside temperatures below 18°C, the air-conditioning activated, and the engine operating at high revs, resulting in the X3 20d emitting almost zero emissions control and recording the highest concentration of harmful NOx in diesel exhaust fumes ever measured by Environmental Action Germany.
While Volkswagen Group’s emissions scandal in 2015 brought significant attention to the issue of defeat devices, the practice of manipulating fuel efficiency and emissions data has been recognized by regulators for decades.
In 1973, VW faced penalties from the United States EPA for using emissions defeat devices. Similar actions were taken against Chrysler, GM, Ford, and Toyota during that period.
Instances of defeat devices were also found in some light commercial vehicles by Ford in the 1990s, and Honda faced penalties for disabling dashboard warning lights that could have alerted drivers to increased emissions due to inefficient running.
The heavy truck and earthmoving equipment sector also faced allegations of cheating during the same period, with fines totaling $1 billion issued by the US EPA to manufacturers such as Caterpillar, Cummins, and Volvo.
Cummins is currently under scrutiny for emissions-cheating software found in engines supplied to Ram for its 2500 and 3500 pick-up trucks over a decade.
Several other brands, excluding most of the VW Group, have been accused of or caught cheating on fuel consumption or emissions figures globally in recent years, including Chrysler, Citroën, Fiat, Ford, Hino, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mini, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Opel Peugeot, Renault, Toyota, and Volvo.
