The Volkswagen Group – still under pressure over the diesel emissions scandal – says it has decided to implement “wide-scale use” of particulate filters for petrol engines, starting in 2017.
From next year, the German automaker says all VW and subsidiary vehicles employing direct injection TSI and TFSI engines will be fitted with petrol particulate filters. It claims that this will reduce emissions of fine soot particles “by up to 90%”.
The first mills to be fitted with the filter will be the 1,4-litre TSI engine in the new Volkswagen Tiguan and the 2,0 TFSI unit in the Audi A5. VW says further models and engine generations will follow, with the aim of having some seven million VW Group vehicles with this technology on the road by 2022.
Of course, particulate filters for diesel engines are already well established, but there’s plenty of potential in the petrol segment, too, says, Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, head of group research and development at the Volkswagen Group.
“Following increases in efficiency and lower CO₂ output, we are now bringing about a sustained reduction in the emission levels of our modern petrol engines by fitting particulate filters as standard,” said Eichhorn.
