Volkswagen does not recommend retrofitting hardware

In view of the first driving bans for Euro 5 diesel cars in 2019 in some German cities, Volkswagen is critical of the conversion plans for diesel cars. The Wolfsburg-based company advises its customers not to have conversions carried out by third parties.

“All of the concepts that we are familiar with so far have disadvantages for our customers, such as increased consumption and thus increased CO2 emissions, and sometimes also reduced performance,” warns Volkswagen Development Board member Frank Welsch.

In addition, according to the company in a message from Friday (December 28, 2018), the permanent functional reliability of the technology cannot be guaranteed. Contrary to other reports, not all Euro 5 vehicles can be converted. In addition, the standard value of 270 mg / km NOx for retrofitted vehicles is not always undercut. As a result, entry bans still apply.

Systems ready for series production are not yet on the market

Among other things, Volkswagen explains its criticism with the fact that “especially with compact vehicles, the corresponding installation space for hardware retrofit solutions is not available at all or only to a limited extent. In addition to the proof of effectiveness of these systems, aspects such as the long-term development of fuel consumption, driveability, the avoidance of other pollutants and the durability of the components must also be taken into account. “

So far, no series-ready systems have been available on the market that have undergone corresponding manufacturer requirements with regard to development, testing and approval, according to VW. In addition, according to independent investigations, corresponding conversions can result in additional consumption of up to six percent. The resulting increase in CO2 emissions is a massive contradiction to the stricter climate protection requirements.