I keep hearing that the reason VW cheated was because U.S. emissions requirements for Diesel passenger vehicles are absurdly strict (compared to Euro regs). Anyone knowledgeable care to comment? No stake in the matter, just curious.
the standards are moving together (both are getting stricter- I'm wouldn't be surprised if the VWs turn out fail Euro 6 standards) but, generally, we care more about particulates and NOx (which diesels have a lot of trouble with), the EU cares more about CO2- so different emphasis (smog vs. climate change).
It's true. It started with California actually. There was a year that diesels didn't even exist because they couldn't figure it out. 2008 I think.
cheap diesels without dreadful performance will be hard to come by soon enough (Mazda has basically given up trying to get a 3 diesel here)
