19/02/2018

US investigates Daimler software claims

Reuters reports that Mercedes maker Daimler is being investigated by the US after claims that their diesel cars had been fitted with software to help them pass emissions tests.

The Bild am Sonntag newspaper in Germany said that confidential documents showed that investigators found that Daimler cars had used several software functions to help pass emissions tests including one function that switched off emissions cleaning after 26km of driving as well as a function that allowed the emissions cleaning system to recognise whether the car was being tested based on speed or acceleration patterns.

Bild am Sonntag also cited emails from Daimler engineers questioning whether these software functions were legal.

A Daimler spokesman said that the company was cooperating fully with US authorities and that 'the authorities know the documents and no complaint has been filed,' the spokesman said. 'The documents available to Bild have obviously selectively been released in order to harm Daimler and its 290,000 employees.'