Study: Bosch responsible for creating emissions cheat software

A joint university study concluded that Bosch\'s role was significant.

A joint study by the University of California, San Diego and Ruhr-Universitat Bochum in Germany has concluded that electronics supplier Bosch's contribution to Volkswagen's (and possibly FCA's) emissions cheating was more significant than originally suggested.

The study indicates that there is "[...] strong evidence that both defeat devices were created by Bosch and then enabled by Volkswagen and Fiat for their respective vehicles," Bloomberg reports.

Since the study was conducted by academic institutions, the documentation used to evaluate Bosch's role in the scandals was sourced from outside the company, namely via service technician portals and enthusiast web sites. For that reason, the researchers caution that their source documents have not been directly authenticated by Bosch.

The extent to which Bosch was involved in creating the emissions work-arounds has been a growing question as VW's Dieselgate scandal and the recent allegations against FCA have unfolded. Bosch's role in powertrain development can vary from vehicle to vehicle. In some cases, the company works directly with automakers; in others, they simply provide the software.

If the latter was the case with Volkswagen and FCA, it would mean Bosch's role in both scandals was limited to simply supplying the companies with the means to accomplish the work-around. If the former, it could validate allegations that the company conspired with the automakers to circumvent regulations.

Bosch declined to comment on the study or its conclusions, citing the fact that the matter is still under investigation and embroiled in litigation.