mmarshall

Get this......a couple from Colorado, active in local environmental affairs, are driving their Jetta diesel all the way from Colorado to VW of America Headquarters in Herndon, VA, just a few miles from my house (that's the better part of 2000 miles). They brought along a number of documents with them, and petitions signed by thousands of people back home, for either compensation or a buy-back....which they will attempt to deliver personally to VW officials. On the way over, they stopped at the Detroit Auto Show to deliver copies to VW officials there at the show.

(BTW, this is not just a jalopnik story......our local news channels here in D.C. also ran a story on them this evening)

(Looks like they are just going to make it in time, too...a major snowstorm is expected in the next several days from the Midwest to the East Coast).

http://jalopnik.com/this-couple-is-d...-po-1753421381

Upset that Volkswagen deceived them into buying a not-so-clean diesel, Marcus Moench and Elisabeth Caspari are driving from Colorado to VW’s headquarters in Virginia to return their Jetta SportWagen TDI and drop off 20,000 petitions. I spoke with them about their journey. Here’s what they had to say.

As car enthusiasts, it might be tempting for us Jalops to think “Make VW Pay” activists are being a bit dramatic. After all, VW TDIs are great cars that get solid fuel economy and are actually decent to drive. Not to mention, compared to vehicles from just a few decades ago, these diesels really aren’t that dirty. So enjoy your good fuel economy and get over it, right?

No. Not at all right.


A Moral Outrage


During their stop at the Detroit Auto Show, Elisabeth Caspari and Marcus Moench spoke with me about their journey to Volkswagen headquarters, and it only took me a second to understand their outrage.

You see, Moench and Caspari are activists who really care about the environment. They founded their own organization whose projects deal with water management, air pollution and climate change among many other health-related issues. So the environment isn’t just something they think about every now and then, it’s what they’ve devoted their lives to protecting.

Naturally, when it came time to find a car, the activists made it their mission to find something that offered low emissions and good fuel economy. What they wound up with was a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. Purchasing a car marketed as a “clean diesel,” Moench and Caspari felt they were getting into an environmentally responsible car that meshed well with their lifestyle and, more importantly, their principles.

Not to mention, Ms. Caspari admitted, the Jetta is actually a nice car to drive.

But when news of the Dieselgate defeat device became public, the road-tripping duo felt cheated. They had purchased a car that didn’t perform as promised and directly opposed their core values. The primary feature that had drawn them to the car in the first place was a sham. And that, the couple said, was true deception and a “moral outrage.”

Make VW Pay


Shortly after they heard about Dieselgate, Moench and Caspari drove to their local Volkswagen dealership and asked for a refund. The way they figured: if VW stands by their product, they should replace it. After all, the car shouldn’t be on the road and it doesn’t perform as promised. But the dealership could only offer the two VW owners a “goodwill package”: basically just $500 and deal on a new car. Moench and Caspari felt insulted.

But Caspari and Moench realized that the dealers were caught in the middle. They were stuck with a giant inventory they couldn’t sell. If anything, they were in worse shape than anyone. So the duo teamed up with USPIRG’s “Make VW Pay” campaign and decided to drive their Jetta SportWagen from Boulder, Colorado back to Volkswagen’s headquarters in Herndon, Virginia to demand that Volkswagen take their car back and make amends.

On their way to Virginia, the two activists stopped by the Detroit auto show to drop off a USPIRG petition with 20,000 signatures at VW’s booth. The petition urges for the following:

VW should buy back customer’s “clean diesels” at full price.
The EPA should institute harsh penalties on VW to set a precedent
Company executives should be held accountable and be liable for jail time.
VW should not be able to consider their fines tax writeoffs.
The Department of Transportation should continue pushing for strict fuel economy and emissions standards.



Use VW’s Skills To Innovate


While USPIRG’s petition calls for some pretty harsh punishments for VW, I found Ms. Caspari and Mr. Moench to be rather reasonable individuals.

I walked down Larned Street near the Cobo Center with Ms. Caspari, and she told me how she really wants Volkswagen to react to her campaign. She said she was very surprised and impressed with Volkswagen’s current steps towards electrification. “Did you know they make an electric Golf? I didn’t know that,” she said.

But Ms. Caspari wants VW to go further. She says she doesn’t want VW to go under; what she’d really like is for Volkswagen to use its skills to innovate and become a leader in electrification.

Building more cars like the e-Golf and the H-Tron concept, Ms. Caspari thinks, is a good way for Volkswagen to make up for their transgressions.


While I drive old, junky polluting cars, Caspari and Moench really helped me understand why so many VW owners are outraged about this whole issue. It’s not just a question of resale value or what others will think of them if they drive a TDI, it’s about people who bought cars because the they promised environmental consciousness. It’s about people who later found that the very aspect they cherished so deeply about their car — the one that agreed with their values and beliefs — was a total lie.

Early next week, the couple will arrive at Volkswagen’s HQ in Herndon to drop of another copy of the petition as well as their white 2010 Volkswagen SportWagen TDI. They don’t expect VW to give them a wad of cash right away, but they do expect to be compensated at some point down the road.

So that brings us to a question for our readers: Do you understand Caspari and Moench’s outrage? Do you think asking for a buy-back and calling for leadership in electrification are reasonable requests?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Cars can be rational (daily drivers) or passionate & emotional (race cars).

But for an enthusiast, it's both. We have enthusiasts that love their cars (Prius, MINI, Porsche, and, yes, VW diesels), and when you have that type of following, you need to cater to their desires.

To faslely advertise to an enthusiast, selling both the idea of rationality and passion, and failing -- yes, outrage is a good word.


Are their requests reasonable? No. But the severity of their outrage reflects the severity of their desired outcomes. It won't be buy-backs or leadership changes, but they'll surely get something out of it.

mmarshall

Actually, that wasn't my question, but one from the writer of the article.

But, to address it, I personally am with that couple in the sense of them (and perhaps many other diesel buyers) not getting what they paid for. But, while not excusing VW's actions, I also think that today's automakers are way over-regulated by DOT, NHTSA, EPA, and CARB. Some of the demands that the government has placed on automakers have become excessive.

bagwell

oh bs.............why the fukc did they buy a diesel anyway if they're so environmentally conscious?!?!?!?

they shoulda bought a Leaf, Prius, or Volt....put up or up I say!

MattyG

So in order to highlight that VW clean diesels aren't so clean these folks drive their dirty diesel 2000 miles and pollute the environment while talking about VW cars polluting the environment?

Isn't that kinda like Leonardo DiCaprio and any number of bumptious Hollywood personalities flitting about in private jets polluting the very environment they claim to stand up for? Just sayin...

mjeds

I think VW should voluntarily buy back all the vehicles under Lemon Law.


when you think about it, all these TDI cars are lemons, they do not perform to expectation, they have a fault that can't be fixed.




seems like a no brainer for them to lemon law all the affected vehicles.

mmarshall

The couple spoke about that in the local-news interview. They said that they felt the potential good that would (or could) come out of the trip was worth some diesel pollution.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

That's a 6 years old car, how could they expect VW to buy back the car at full price? Maybe market value the most. But if they do this one, they have to buy back all the cars they sold which is highly unlikely :/

MattyG

I do agree with the couple's principles about environmental responsibility but it almost sounds like they decided to do this long after VW has already taken a heck of an **** kicking pile-on from media on all fronts. What does this stunt accomplish? People are already aware of VW and dirty diesels by now.

And the company already said measures are under way to buy back the affected vehicles. Does this couple own an older vehicle that doesn't fall under the possible buyback or recall guidelines?

mmarshall

Some people think, though, that to try and make their points, they have to get in the news.


You have a point about a car that old. In today's litigious society, though (even though this couple chose a different route than a lawsuit), that doesn't stop some people.

dseag2

Driving from Colorado after smoking 5 joints, no doubt.

mmarshall

Smoking joints? Maybe. After all, that's what they were doing in VWs 50 years ago LOL