Dieselgate: Audi clarifies “inactive” claim

Audi Australia has admitted the cheat software it described as “inactive” in local examples of the EA189 1.6- and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines is only inactive when it's not being activated.

In other words, the ‘defeat device’ software works in Australian Audis just as it does everywhere else, activating when it senses the engine is being lab tested and artificially adjusting its settings to drive down the output of health-affecting Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) to legal levels.

In normal conditions the defeat device remains inactive, allowing illegal emissions.

The original statement about the software being “inactive” was made by Audi Australia general manager of corporate communications Anna Burgdorf at the RS 3 Sportback launch in late September.

“We don't yet know the full effect of the software on Australian-built vehicles," said Ms Burgdorf at the time, when she read from a statement and didn’t take questions.

"However, it is our understanding that the software is inactive in all Australian-build Audi vehicles with an EA189 (turbo-diesel) engine."

Since then Audi has pulled the EA189-powered models currently on sale from the market – the Audi Q5, A4 and A5 TDI – and confirmed the voluntary recall of 16,085 vehicles to fix the issue via an as yet unspecified rectification program that will likely start early next year.

Eleven million vehicles are affected by the scandal globally, including 2.1 million Audis and almost 100,000 VW, Skoda, Seat and Audi vehicles in Australia.

Today, Burgdorf and Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle clarified the “inactive” comments when questioned during a ‘dieselgate’ update teleconference with media.

“That was the information that we understood at the time and I guess the impact is that software is inactive unless the vehicle is being emissions tested,” Burgdorf said today. “So the customer won’t notice any impact on their vehicle on a daily basis.”

Pressed on the matter, Doyle said: “As Anna stated that was the information we had at the time … without trying to split hairs or be cute about it the software has no active effect.

“The software is live there and would therefore be active if it was put in a test environment. But in normal driving conditions it has no active effect would be the best possible way to describe it.”

During the teleconference Doyle stressed the lengths Audi Australia was going to in its communications with customers affected by Dieselgate and how much effort was being put into finding out what fixes its Volkswagen Group parent was putting in place and how soon they would be made in Australia.

He confirmed the vast majority of affected EA189 engines would require a software flash to be legalised, while 4-5 per cent (all 1.6-litre engines) would also require a hardware fix.

He could not say what that hardware fix might be, although in other markets that has been reported as a new injector for the 1.6.

Doyle, who has elected not to attend the media launch of the TT S coupe and roadster over the next two days as he concentrates on Dieselgate, could not confirm whether the fixes would or wouldn’t impact on the performance of the EA189-powered vehicles.

“The questions that you are asking that I can’t answer are the ones that I wish to know (the answers to from Germany),” Doyle said.

“The technical solution is key to us, that is at the end of the day what customers want to know given we have been advised the vehicles remain safe to drive.

“And then of course to confirm that technical solution has no adverse impact on any other parts of the vehicle, which is obviously what the group is working towards.

“They are the main things we are working towards, but there is a lot of detail around that, in terms of which vehicles have software, which vehicles have hardware and so on.

“We also have to prepare a lot of information for authorities in Australia so we are making sure that is checked and double-checked.”

Doyle said the three Audi models withdrawn from sale accounted for about eight per cent of overall sales volume. People who had placed orders on those models and not taken delivery had been converted to petrol models, had their money refunded or made other arrangements with Audi while they waited for their order to be filled.

He confirmed the company’s tracking showed a slight dip in sales in October after an all-time record September.

“It (sales) hasn’t been impacted in a great way,” he said. “But that certainly doesn’t mean we aren’t looking at that every day and doing everything we can to satisfy and appease the customers that are affected, and also the ones that aren’t affected; that the Audi brand is still the Audi brand.”

Doyle revealed some existing owners had asked for their money back and those negotiations were happening on an individual basis.

He said he knew no more about a class action being threatened by lawyers Maurice Blackburn other than what was being reported in the press.

Doyle refused to speculate on the long-term impact Dieselgate might have on the brand and its popularity in Australia.

“Looking after our customers is our first and final priority right now,” he said.

Audi has set up a website at which the affected models are listed and owners potentially affected can obtain further details, including via a VIN checker tool. A hotline has also been established and Audi has commenced a mail-out to owners of the recalled vehicles.