Shares Tumble After Lawsuit Claims GM Was Passing Emissions Tests With VW Like Cheat Device

While the Automotive News article says GM is "sixth carmaker linked to diesel cheating scandal since 2015," we should remember:

(1) We're more than a year and a half after the VW Dieselgate scandal broke onto the scene in September 2015.

(2) Shortly after Dieselgate broke, the UK government performed their own real-world emissions test, and they discovered all the diesels they tested and virtually all the gasoline-powered vehicles they tested (various brands and models) produced well beyond lab-legal emissions when operated in the real world, and VW was not the worst offender. GM, Mazda, Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, and others were specifically named in the UK study.

Meanwhile, here in North America, authorities are discovering this just now?

By the way, I just want to restate:

(1) So far, only VW has has been convicted of using what the law defines as a prohibited emissions "cheat device."

(2) Other manufacturers have achieved similar results (legal in-lab emissions, while producing well beyond lab-legal emissions in the real world), but they did so without employing what is defined by law as a "cheat device." Same results ("clean" in the lab, "dirty" out of lab), but different way of doing it, therefore not illegal at the time.

(3) US authorities have recently expanded the definition of what constitutes a "cheat device." Mercedes' diesels are now included in that new definition. That's why MB withdrew their diesels from sale in North America, and why their 2017 diesels are failing certification, with the latest definition of "cheat device."

(4) Diesels emit much higher NOx[1] as compared to gasoline engines. However, gasoline engines emit much higher CO2 levels than diesels (but that's okay, so long as you DON'T believe: (a) CO2 is a greenhouse gas, AND (b) humans emit sufficient quantities of CO2 to negatively affect the environment, AND (c) global climate change is a thing, AND (d) the alleged climate change is bad for humanity.)

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[1]NOx is various forms of oxides of nitrogen (the "x" presents a numeric value). NOx is a serious health hazard to humans and other air-breathers like us.

Shhhh . . . if you listen closely, you can hear the whir of industrial shredders and delete keys being pushed inside of GM headquarters and the "third party testers" they will blame.

Instead of making better plugins and giving Tesla a real run for their money... It's a real shame.

Actually - there is a problem with the lawsuit. WHile it "claims" that GM has a cheat device in its software - they are challenging GM to prove otherwise. AS a Defendant - GM does not have to prove it is innocent UNTIL the other side proves guilt - something that they have only indirectly claimed (Due to higher real world emissions).

I believe that there is no such software cheat on GM diesels - they have just met the standard in the Lab - properly - and the testing procedures do no establish a "real world" standard.