Mitsubishi scandal: falsified data on emissions for 25 years

Last week Mitsubishi admitted to having falsified the results of tests on emissions for about 625,000 vehicles sold in Japan. The Asian manufacturer says that the first false tests date back to 25 years ago, with the statement that caused a sharp decline in the stock value of the company. We do not know how widespread the phenomenon, or how many are involved models, but Mitsubishi has lost half of its market value and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has ordered the company to re-run the tests on its vehicles.

The emissions testing conducted by Mitsubishi have neglected Japanese standards since 1991. In this case the company has not updated the methods applied during the freewheeling test in which a machine slows to a stop to measure its resistance. In 2001 the company discovered that the tests produce results that deviated from those officers up to about 2.3%, but still refused to update the methods by which they were made.

The rules were changed in 1991 to reflect the driving style of the inhabitants of the Japanese cities, innovations that have never been observed by Mitsubishi. The company continued to use outdated methods: "We would have had to change, but we did not," admitted Ryugo Nakao countrymen to reporters, adding that the company's internal targets could have been the cause of the false statements: "Judging from what we have shown the researches made so far, it seems there has been internal pressure, "he told the Japanese press.

Mitsubishi has admitted that he manipulated the data on four car models: eK Wagon and eK Space, produced and sold internally, Dayz and Dayz Roox, produced by Mitsubishi and sold by Nissan. The production and sales of the four models have been arrested, with the company that will verify if there are inconsistencies in the data on other vehicles. Mitsubishi has also established a special committee of outside experts to the company to further investigate the matter.