In a bizarre twist to VW’s emissions cheating scandal, where VW fixed the results of diesel testing to comply with strict emission laws, another plot twist has developed one that could resemble a comedy sketch and at the same a serious charge of animal cruelty. The New York Times revealed that VW used monkeys to study the effects of diesel exhaust by exposing primates to fumes in laboratory conditions.

VW was not alone when conducting this study, the research was a group financed effort which included Daimler (Mercedes Benz), BMW and Robert Bosch.

The aim of this research was to prove that the current generation of modern types of diesel engines was far cleaner and emitted less harmful exhaust fumes than older models.

However, the car provided by VW had already been set up to produce less harmful levels of pollution in this lab experiment than it would otherwise do on the road.

The research was conducted at a laboratory in Albuquerque, USA but it was more of a front than a serious lab experiment.

While the lab car was rigged to produce false data, VW then manipulated the results further still. For their own benefits of course.

It is not known what happened to the monkeys or if they even suffered during and or after the experiment. Most obviously it brings into question VW’s moral and ethical stance.

Not only is this an example of animal cruelty but it is also a demonstration that VW places little value on human life.

Why? because VW cars are breaking the clean air laws, laws that are designed to cut the deaths caused by cars emitting harmful levels of carcinogens into the air.

This pollution is known to cause deaths according to the World Health Organisation.

So why did VW, Daimler, and BMW conduct this mad experiment and then falsify the results? It’s a complex issue that can be answered very simply. Money, profits, bonuses.