Consumers who were deceived by Volkswagen must be compensated
SIR – Having always insisted that I would never buy a diesel car because of the pollution, I relented about 18 months ago and bought a Volkswagen, mainly because I was reassured that major advances had been made on emissions.
Where should I send my claim for compensation, now that my car is worth a good deal less due to the company’s carefully planned deception (report, September 22)?
Frederick Hill
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
SIR – Now that diesel emission figures have been shown, at least in some cases, to be falsified, might we hope that motor manufacturers will provide honest figures for fuel consumption, in miles per litre, instead of the fiction that currently appears in their glossy brochures?
Neil L Hancox
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
SIR – When governments set up regulations, industries will respond to them. We now tax cars on the basis of carbon dioxide emissions and have largely ignored nitrogen oxides and, to a lesser degree, particulates.
It should come as no surprise that the automotive industry has reacted to these incentives.
William McAuley
Camberley, Surrey
SIR – The amount of pollution given off by any internal combustion-powered vehicle is dictated by the distance it travels and the manner in which it is driven. Manufacturer laboratory test results are always meaningless when compared with how a vehicle is used practically.
How much revenue has the Government lost by fixing the rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) on manufacturer test results?
Now is a good time to change the way vehicle owners are taxed. VED, in its present form, should be abolished and the fiscal loss made up by an extra duty on road fuel. This would encourage people to drive more economically, to avoid unnecessary journeys and not to sit in stationary vehicles with the engine running.
We might all then look forward to a healthier future.
Peter Baines
Sale, Cheshire
SIR – As regards the role of the emissions check that is part of the annual MOT test, are we saying that the rogue VW software can detect this sort of test being executed and provide spurious results in perpetuity?
Phillip Pennicott
Woodford Green, Essex
SIR – Cheating on emissions figures was evident in the manual of my last car (not a Volkswagen). It stated: “Fuel consumption figures were obtained with tyre pressures set at 46psi.”
This pressure was clearly used to reduce rolling resistance during testing, but was 50 per cent above that recommended for road driving.
Adrian Waller
Woodsetts, South Yorkshire