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Opel Diesel Engine Control Software Cleared by KBA

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Opel Zafira

Opel Zafira

As automotive regulatory agencies continue to crack down on diesel technologies in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal, there had been some doubt as to the permissibility of an engine control software being utilized in Opel vehicles in Germany. The auto brand’s diesel engine has been cleared by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) after additional testing, reported Reuters on Sunday.


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Opel’s Insignia, Cascada, and Zafira—all powered by the automaker’s 2.0-liter CDTI diesel four-cylinder engine—were cleared after an investigatory committee earlier this year found them to be among 30 other vehicles testing for unusually high CO2 emissions. Opel at the time admitted to utilizing engine control software in the Zafira that would suspend exhaust treatment systems as a means to sustain the engine when certain air pressure levels or speeds are reached.

According to Bild am Sonntag, who was the first to report the story on Sunday, “IT expert Felix Domke, who had already criticized shortcomings in the Opel engine software at the end of 2015, checked the new software and confirmed the test results of the KBA. According to an internal report, the new exhaust gas treatment system acts much stronger. These emissions have been reduced substantially.”

Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced that the Volkswagen scandal would result in a new approval process for diesel engines and closer monitoring of emissions in the future.

Reuters reached out to both the Federal Office for Motor Vehicles and Opel for comment. The former was not immediately available to comment on the results, and Opel offered no further comment.


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News Sources: Bild am Sonntag, Reuters