The German automaker BMW has to pay because of a software failure in the cleaning of nearly 8,000 cars 8.5 million euros penalty. As the Munich public prosecutor announced today, however, BMW has not violated any laws and manipulated exhaust emissions for better readings on the test bench. „The charge of fraud has not been confirmed in this respect.“
The investigation revealed that data for the engine management of other BMW vehicles had been installed in the engine control of the affected vehicles of the models BMW M550xd and 750xd. As a result, they emitted too much nitric oxide on the road as well as on the test bench.
BMW failed to prevent this error by an appropriate quality assurance, the prosecutor said. Therefore, she has imposed a fine for negligent breach of supervision.
No intent
However, the investigation revealed „neither evidence that the model series actually test stand-related defeat devices would be installed, nor that employees of BMW AG acted deliberately.“ In addition, BMW had fully cooperated in the investigation and improved its quality assurance accordingly.
A BMW spokesman said the company accepted the fine. The installation of the wrong software component was a technical mistake. The affected cars had been called last year for update in the workshop.
