Volkswagen's emissions crisis

Volkswagen Group is at the centre of a scandal originating in the US that has revealed the rigging of emissions tests for VW diesel models. The crisis has direct implications for Volkswagen in the US and could spread elsewhere

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Former VW CEO charged with four others over 'dieselgate'

15 Apr 2019 | Graeme Roberts

Has the other shoe finally dropped? Following the recent European Commission accusation against BMW, Daimler and VW of breaching EU antitrust rules from 2006 to 2014 by colluding to restrict competition on the development of petrol and diesel emissions control technology for passenger cars, came news today former Volkswagen AG chief Martin Winterkorn has been charged with serious fraud alongside four other managers in Germany for their role in the diesel emissions-rigging scandal that so far has cost the automaker about EUR29bn (US$33bn).

VW denies chairman 'dieselgate' allegations

10 Dec 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has denied allegations that chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch knew about the carmaker's 'dieselgate' emissions test cheating almost three months before US authorities made it public in September 2015.

Audi fined EUR800m in Germany over 'dieselgate'

16 Oct 2018 | Graeme Roberts

'Dieselgate' has cost Audi an EUR800m fine in Germany related to its V6 and V8 engines.

Porsche reiterates no more diesels

24 Sep 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Quietly dropping a statement onto its website on a Saturday was how Porsche, whose vehicles have been swept up in the Volkswagen group 'dieselgate' scandal, announced it was quitting the fuel for future models.

Investors finally get VW into court over dieselgate

10 Sep 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen investors hauled the carmaker into a German court today (10 September) to seek EUR9.2bn (US$10.6bn) compensation for share price falls following news of the diesel emissions scandal breaking three years ago.

VW CEO told about emissions software before diesel scandal broke - reports

20 Aug 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess reportedly was told about the existence of cheating software in cars two months before regulators blew the whistle on what became a multi-billion euro exhaust emissions scandal, media reports said.

German court rules on seized VW law firm files

6 Jul 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Prosecutors may use files seized last year during a raid on Jones Day, the US law firm Volkswagen used to investigate its emissions scandal, a German federal court ruled on Friday (6 July).

Not a very good Monday for one - the week

22 Jun 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Not a good week for Audi CEO Rupert Stadler whose plans for this week were interrupted somewhat in the early hours of Monday with a knock on his Ingolstadt door followed swiftly by arrest. With top ranking VW Group executives seemingly untouchable since the diesel emissions cheating scandal broke almost three years ago, Stadler's arrest was a bit of a surprise.

UPDATED: VW holds crisis talks after Audi CEO Rupert Stadler arrested

18 Jun 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Top Volkswagen officials were holding crisis talks to find a temporary chief for premium brand Audi after CEO Rupert Stadler was arrested on Monday (18 June), a source told the Reuters news agency.

Germany fines Volkswagen EUR1bn for emissions cheating

13 Jun 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen was fined EUR1bn (US$1.18bn) over diesel emissions cheating in what was one of the highest ever fines imposed by German authorities against a company, public prosecutors said.

US charges former Volkswagen CEO over dieselgate

4 May 2018 | Graeme Roberts

The US Justice Department has filed criminal charges against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, accusing him of conspiring to cover up diesel emissions cheating, but industry watchers said it was unlikely he would travel to the US to answer the charges.

Volkswagen names new chief for Electrify America

2 May 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen Group of America has named a new head for its Electrify America organisation.

VW EV unit to install chargers at Walmart

18 Apr 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Electrify America, an entity created by Volkswagen to spend US$800m on zero emissions infrastructure in California and $2bn country-wide as part of an agreement following 'dieselgate, has announced it will install electric vehicle chargers at more than 100 Walmart locations across 34 states by June 2019.

Ex-Audi execs homes raided in Germany - reports

22 Feb 2018 | Dave Leggett

German prosecutors have reportedly broadened an investigation of Audi AG’s role in diesel emissions cheating with a new round of raids targeting two former Audi board members.

Audi told to recall 127,000 cars over emissions

22 Jan 2018 | Graeme Roberts

Audi has been ordered to recall 127,000 cars in Germany due to concerns over diesel engine emissions.

KBA orders VW Touareg diesel recall over emissions cheating

12 Dec 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Germany's KBA automotive watchdog reportedly has announced a recall of top SUVs with three litre diesel engines after detecting two illicit emissions control devices in the models.

Another VW Dieselgate official jailed in US

7 Dec 2017 | Graeme Roberts

The US has jailed its second VW official since the Dieselgate scandal broke two years ago.

US judge blocks DoJ's 25m VW documents share with German law firm

20 Sep 2017 | Graeme Roberts

A federal magistrate judge reportedly has blocked the US Justice Department (DoJ) from sharing Volkswagen diesel emissions related documents.

Switzerland bans Porsche diesel registrations

18 Aug 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Switzerland's road agency has imposed a preliminary ban on new registrations of Porsche Cayenne cars equipped with manipulated diesel engine management software, a media report said.

Europe anti-fraud group makes VW recommendations to Germany

1 Aug 2017 | Graeme Roberts

European anti-fraud office OLAF has sent judicial recommendations concerning Volkswagen to German prosecutors.

Audi to modify 850,000 diesel vehicles

24 Jul 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Following last week's announcement Daimler would spend EUR220m updating 3m Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles in Europe in what it terms "voluntary service actions", VW Group's Audi said it was offering customers in Europe and other markets a retrofit programme for 850,000 cars with EU5 and EU6 diesel engines.

Stuttgart prosecutors eye Porsche for diesel emissions fraud and false advertising

10 Jul 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Workers at Porsche and a US subsidiary company are being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising related to diesel emissions, the Stuttgart prosecutor's office was reported to have said.

Audi employee arrested in Germany over diesel emissions

7 Jul 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Munich prosecutors arrested an Audi employee this week on suspicion of fraud and false advertising in connection with the diesel emissions scandal.

Extended warranty but no compo for Europe VW diesel owners

15 Jun 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has agreed to offer an extra two year guarantee to European owners of its diesel cars but no compensation in talks with Europe's consumer affairs chief over its cheating on emissions tests, a European Commission spokesman has said.

Canadian courts approve VW diesel settlement

24 Apr 2017 | Graeme Roberts

At the same time as legal developments south of the border, Volkswagen Group Canada and Canadian class counsel announced both the Québec and Ontario courts have granted approval of the nationwide settlement agreement to resolve consumer claims in Canada related to the two litre diesel emissions "matter" for approximately 105,000 affected vehicles.

VW gets probation and independent oversight for diesel scam

24 Apr 2017 | Graeme Roberts

A federal judge in Detroit has sentenced Volkswagen AG to three years' probation and independent oversight following the diesel emissions scandal as part of a US$4.3bn settlement announced in January.

Ex-Enron prosecutor to oversee US VW diesel deal

20 Apr 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen, due to be sentenced this week in the US for rigging emissions tests, will get a court-approved monitor who is a former chief of the government's prosecution of Enron, a media report said.

"Diesel issue" and Takata recalls cost Audi EUR1.8bn in 2016

15 Mar 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Audi Group booked a EUR1.8bn charge in 2016 to cover costs "for the resolution of the V6 3.0 TDI diesel issue" and in connection with Takata airbag recalls. Even after these special items, operating profit was EUR3.1bn and operating return on sales 5.1%.

Prosecutors raid Audi facilities in Germany

15 Mar 2017 | Dave Leggett

German prosecutors have searched Audi facilities in Germany in connection with the emissions cheating crisis - 'dieselgate' - that has hit VW Group.

VW investor claims make progress in German court

8 Mar 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Some investor claims against Volkswagen have made progress in a German court.

VW's three-litre compo plan gets preliminary US approval

16 Feb 2017 | Graeme Roberts

A federal judge this week has granted preliminary approval to Volkswagen's plan to pay at least US$1.22bn to fix or buy back nearly 80,000 polluting three-litre diesel vehicles in the United States.

VW agrees settlement with private plaintiffs and US FTC

2 Feb 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Parent company Volkswagen AG and Volkswagen Group of America said they had reached proposed agreements to resolve outstanding civil claims regarding around 78,000 affected vehicles with three-litre TDI V6 diesel engines in the United States.

Former VW CEO cagey on emissions cheat timing

19 Jan 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn has declined to tell German lawmakers when he first learned of diesel emissions test cheating but said it was no earlier than VW has officially admitted.

Investors want VW reforms and more transparency after indictments and settlement

12 Jan 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen investors have demanded greater transparency and reforms at the carmaker after it admitted to criminal offences in rigging U.S. emissions tests and U.S. prosecutors indicted six current and former managers over the scandal.

VW agrees settlement with US government as cheat process outlined in indictments

12 Jan 2017 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has agreed a US$4.3bn settlement with the US government over the diesel emissions-cheat scandal but is not off the hook yet as six executives have been indicted amidst US revelations of measures the automaker took to mislead regulators.

VW executive arrested and charged in US over emissions cheat

10 Jan 2017 | Graeme Roberts

A Volkswagen executive has been arrested in Florida and charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States over the company's diesel emissions cheating.

VW CEO did not know about emissions test cheating - reports

10 Oct 2016 | Graeme Roberts

A top Volkswagen executive did not know about diesel engine emissions test-cheating at the automaker, according to media reports.

VW launches integrity campaign at Wolfsburg plant

21 Sep 2016 | Graeme Roberts

The Volkswagen Group rolled out a pilot campaign to foster a culture of integrity during the works meeting at the Wolfsburg plant.

Audi R&D chief reportedly faces suspension

20 Sep 2016 | Graeme Roberts

A top Audi executive reportedly is losing his job as investigations continue into the Volkswagen group emissions scandal.

Bentham files second emissions complaint against VW AG in Germany

16 Sep 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Bentham Europe has filed a second complaint in German courts seeking damages of up to EUR2bn on behalf of Volkswagen shareholders who have suffered losses resulting from the car giant’s use of 'defeat device' software to cheat emissions tests.

VW engineer pleads guilty to first US 'dieselgate' criminal charges

12 Sep 2016 | Graeme Roberts

A Volkswagen engineer has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud regulators and car owners, in the first criminal charges stemming from the American investigation into the German carmaker's emissions deception.

Audi sales chief happy with US diesel emissions talks

31 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen could reach a "final" settlement with US regulators as early as October over its large engine diesel cars that cheated emissions tests, Audi's sales chief has said.

Volkswagen accepts South Korean test-rigging rulings

30 Aug 2016 | Staff reporter

Volkswagen Korea, the German automaker’s South Korean distributor, confirmed it does not plan to appeal against the government’s recent decision to ban sales and cancel the certifications of many of its vehicle models sold in the country.

VW US diesel owners line up for cash

30 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Given the choice of having their emissions test-cheating 'clean' diesel Volkswagens fixed or getting their money back, US car owners are lining up for the cash, a media report said.

Volkswagen agrees to settle US dealers' diesel emissions claims, details to come

26 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen's US unit has agreed to settle - "in principle" - claims from dealers related to the diesel emissions testing rigging scandal but the automaker did not detail the amounts to be paid out or the total cost to the company.

Bosch 'defends its interests' as diesel saga rolls on in US

24 Aug 2016 | Simon Warburton

Bosch says it is "defending its interests" in the long-running diesel saga and has asked US Courts to respect its staff privacy as allegations surrounding the supplier and Volkswagen continue to swirl.

Bosch rejects US emissions conspiracy allegations in court filing

23 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen supplier Robert Bosch reportedly has rejected vehicles owners' claims in the US that 38 of its employees conspired with the automaker for a decade to develop technology that enabled diesel vehicles to evade pollution-control tests.

Supplier alleged to have helped VW emissions cheat - report

18 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Robert Bosch began playing a key role in developing Volkswagen AG's emission-cheating technology as early as the late 1990s, lawyers for VW owners have said in a court filing cited by Bloomberg. It includes detailed allegations against the supplier.

KBA approves Volkswagen EA 189 1.2-litre emissions fix

15 Aug 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has approved Volkswagen's proposed modifications to vehicles with the 1.2-litre EA189 TDI diesel engine.

VW may face shareholder calls to reclaim executive bonuses

15 Jul 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen managers may face calls to return their bonuses if the company is fined by German prosecutors over the profits it made from selling 11m cars fitted with illicit engine software.

Koreans to rule on VW Group certification revocation

11 Jul 2016 | Graeme Roberts

South Korea's environment ministry said on Monday it would decide later this month whether to revoke the certification of 32 Volkswagen Group vehicle models after prosecutors accused the carmaker of fabricating documents on emissions and noise level tests.

VW to pay California emissions penalties of $86m

11 Jul 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen will pay an additional US$86m in penalties to California over its emissions scandal, on top of a settlement of $14.7 billion the automaker reached with US officials earlier, state attorney general Kamala Harris said.

Germans want VW to face profit-related fine

11 Jul 2016 | Graeme Roberts

German prosecutors are demanding Volkswagen face a fine based on the level of the profits the carmaker made from selling 11m vehicles equipped with manipulated engine software, newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung said.

Spanish court says VW Germany liable on emissions, not local affiliates

8 Jul 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Spain's High Court said Volkswagen's parent company, based in Germany, would be liable to answer any charges over emissions fraud, rather than its Spanish affiliates.

VW emissions offer goes down well in US

29 Jun 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen's settlement agreements with various parties in the US have been generally well received by several key consumer advice buying publications in the country but appear unlikely to sit so well with European regulators because no similar deal is on the table this side of the Atlantic.

Volkswagen confirms US diesel engines settlement

28 Jun 2016 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen AG has announced today that it has reached settlement agreements with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the State of California; the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC); and private plaintiffs represented by the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) to resolve civil claims regarding eligible Volkswagen and Audi 2.0L TDI diesel engine vehicles in the US.

EU wants same VW diesel cheat compensation in Europe as US

27 Jun 2016 | Graeme Roberts

European industry commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska has said VW should pay its German customers similar compensation to US buyers.

Norway's wealth fund files complaint against VW

27 Jun 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Norway's wealth fund has filed a legal complaint against Volkswagen, as part of a joint legal action over the diesel emissions scandal.

Korea issues arrest warrant for VW executive

27 Jun 2016 | Graeme Roberts

A South Korean court has issued the first warrant for the arrest of a Volkswagen executive in connection with its cheating on vehicle emissions tests.

VW hints no management culprit found yet in diesel emissions cheat scandal

11 May 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen's supervisory board will ask shareholders attending its 22 June AGM to ratify the actions of its management board in 2015, saying that its investigation into the diesel emissions testing scandal has not yet turned up anything to cause it to recommend otherwise.

Comment - diesel emissions 'failures' hardly a surprise

25 Apr 2016 | Chris Wright

Surely it can have come as no surprise that more diesel engines are failing to meet emissions test targets? When the Volkswagen scandal over the so called defeat device broke last year, many in the industry wondered whether this was the tip of an iceberg.

VW agrees emissions deal "in principle" with US Justice - report

21 Apr 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Buyback offers and a possible repair are on the table after Volkswagen AG and the US Justice Department reached a deal "in principle" to deal with excess emissions in nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles, a federal judge said on Thursday (21 April).

VW emissions cheating probe report may be delayed - report

19 Apr 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen investigators may not have a complete report on the diesel emissions cheating scandal by the end of April, a media report said on Tuesday (19 April).

Institutional investors sue VW

15 Mar 2016 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group is being sued for EUR3.3bn by a group of institutional investors in Germany who allege that the company failed to publish information about the emissions scandal in a timely manner.

Horn leaves VW Group of America

10 Mar 2016 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen has announced the departure of its US division’s CEO, Michael Horn. Horn was expected by many to emerge as a management casualty at VW as the dieselgate crisis unfolded in the US last year.

VW Group CEO Müller calls for unity

8 Mar 2016 | Dave Leggett

In an address to 20,000 Volkswagen employees at Wolfsburg today, VW Group CEO Matthias Müller appealed for unity as the company seeks to recover from its current crisis.

VW acknowledges early diesel emissions alert to CEO

3 Mar 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen's former CEO was alerted to US diesel emissions tests problems in 2014, but the issue "did not initially receive particular attention at the management levels," Reuters reported the carmaker as saying.

Dieselgate - Criminal charges threat for VW & Audi Korea's MD

20 Jan 2016 | Glenn Brooks

The Ministry of the Environment in Seoul says it will seek to bring criminal charges against the managing director of South Korea's Volkswagen and Audi importer. The development is leading some observers to wonder whether there might be dissembling factors in play.

VW names former BMW man for North America hot seat

19 Jan 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has appointed Hinrich Woebcken head of the North America region effective 1 April, 2016 when he assumes responsibility for all the activities of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in the region.

Former Veep candidate lines up for Volkswagen litigation lead

12 Jan 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Former US senator and Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards is among over 140 plaintiffs' lawyers competing to lead private litigation against Volkswagen over its emissions cheating scandal, a media report said.

Detroit - Scandal-stricken VW still sees US as 'core' market

11 Jan 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen CEO has said the automaker is sticking to investment plans and continues to view the US as a core market, ahead of critical meetings this week with government officials over its admission that it rigged emission tests on 'clean diesel' vehicles.

Detroit - VW reportedly to expand US diesel compo

11 Jan 2016 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen was expected to announce on Monday it is expanding its US goodwill diesel emissions compensation programme to tens of thousands of owners of larger diesel vehicles, the company's top US official told Reuters.

US Government files lawsuit against VW over emissions cheat

5 Jan 2016 | Dave Leggett

The US Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen Group for its emissions cheating actions that could see it face penalties and fines exceeding US$90bn, according to some reports.

Volkswagen France to recall 940,000 diesel vehicles

16 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen France will start recalling 940,000 diesel cars in February. Owners would receive three letters detailing the process, newspaper reports said.

EC urges "rapid reform" following VW emissions scandal

16 Dec 2015 | Simon Warburton

European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Elzbieta Bienkowska, says there is need for "rapid regulatory reform" following the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

VW to keep brands despite threat of heavy emissions fines

15 Dec 2015 | Simon Warburton

Volkswagen says it has no intention of divesting any of its subsidiary brands as the fallout from the diesel emissions scandal continues to reverberate, with the automaker labelling the situation akin to the 'Bermuda Triangle."

Chinese environmental group sues VW over emissions

15 Dec 2015 | Dave Leggett

A Chinese environmental group has said it is taking legal action against Volkswagen over its use of software to cheat emission tests in a move widely reported in China’s media.

Volkswagen comes clean over US diesel farce

10 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Having now involved around "450 external and internal experts involved in the investigations" into emissions test rigging, Volkswagen on Thursday (10 December) admitted pressure to launch 'clean diesel' models in the US led to it deliberately designing engines to meet NOx emissions on test while knowing that real-world driving would greatly increase tailpipe pollution. It added it was making good progress with its investigation, vehicle modifications and group restructuring, including management changes.

VW says wrong CO2 data minimal, reduces expected EUR2bn profit hit

10 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen said it had "largely concluded the clarification of the matter" concerning an investigation into whether the published CO2 emissions of its vehicles reflected real-world conditions.

VW to update on emissions scandal, appoints new comms head

9 Dec 2015 | Simon Warburton

Volkswagen says it will hold a press conference tomorrow (10 December) with an update on the diesel emissions scandal, which has rocked the German automaker for the past few months.

VW "could be ready to sell assets for loan repayment" – report

4 Dec 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen has told banks supplying it with a one-year EUR20bn bridging loan that it could sell assets if other repayment means falter, according to a Reuters report citing people ‘familiar with the matter’.

VW agrees terms for EUR20bn loan - report

2 Dec 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group has reportedly agreed the terms for an EUR20bn "bridging loan" with banks to help cover extraordinary costs arising from its diesel emissions scandal.

VW asked for European emissions test changes

2 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen successfully lobbied for changes to proposed new European emissions tests designed to more accurately reflect 'real world conditions', a newspaper report said.

50 VW 'whistleblowers' speak up

2 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

"Around 50" Volkswagen employees have come forward just ahead of the deadline to testify in the group’s internal investigation into the emissions controls cheating scandal, a spokesman has said.

Volkswagen sets a recall record in India

2 Dec 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen India's recall of 323,000 diesel cars fitted with emission cheating software will be the country's biggest.

Audi suspends two engineers over US diesel V6

27 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Audi has suspended two engineers after its larger diesel engines were found evading emissions limits in the United States, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told a newspaper.

Volkswagen diesel recall in Europe will take a year

25 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen Group announced on Wednesday fixes for 1.6- and two-litre EA 189 diesel engines that give false emissions readings, saying it would need all of 2016 to carry out the recalls. The measures are for Europe only and do not apply to US models.

Prosecutors eye VW workers for emissions tax evasion

24 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

German public prosecutors reportedly have launched an investigation into suspected tax evasion in connection with the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

Volkswagen making progress on diesel emissions fixes

24 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has said it has German approval to repair about 70% of its 'rigged' diesel engines and made a deal with US regulators to resubmit questionable software in other vehicles for review.

VW Group reins in capital spending

23 Nov 2015 | Dave Leggett

VW Group is planning to rein in its capital spending next year as it makes allowance for additional costs related to its diesel emissions scandal.

VW diesel emission scandal - European diesel market and company ramifications

18 Nov 2015 | Calum MacRae

In September 2015, the industry – and VW in particular – was dealt a seismic shock when it became clear that VW had sought to cheat US emission testing procedures with its diesel vehicles. Since then there has been much debate as to the impact this revelation – and other subsequent revelations – will have on diesel demand and on the company. In terms of diesel demand, the focus is on the European situation, as the market accounts for over 50% of worldwide light vehicle diesel volume. After considering the diesel market, the attention then switches to examining the particular impact on VW as a company.

Winterkorn quits as Audi chairman

12 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn has stepped down as chairman of the group's luxury brand Audi amid an investigation of two emissions scandals that occurred during his reign at Europe’s largest car maker.

Volkswagen stops producing Passat diesel at Chattanooga

12 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has ceased manufacturing diesel versions of the 2016 Passat at its Chattanooga plant in Tennessee, amid the emissions test-rigging scandal.

VW offers US diesel owners $1,000 in cash and dealer credit

10 Nov 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen of America is offering US$500 in cash and $500 in VW dealer credit to owners of its diesel cars, a first step in compensating them in the wake of a global emissions-test cheating scandal.

VW Group and works council agree on 'joint steps'

10 Nov 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group says that its CEO Matthias Müller and the Chairman of the Group Works Council Bernd Osterloh, have agreed on the “further procedure for investment and capacity planning”.

GERMANY: VW identifies "irregularities" in CO2 levels of vehicles

4 Nov 2015 | Dave Leggett

In a move that threatens to widen the already damaging NOx emissions scandal relating to some of its diesel engines, Volkswagen has admitted to irregularities in CO2 levels affecting some 800,000 group vehicles, including some fitted with gasoline engines.

US: VW denies EPA suggestion that emissions cheats extend to 3L V6 engines

3 Nov 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen has strongly denied the suggestion by US authorities that it may have installed emissions cheating devices to larger engines not already cited as part of VW's diesel emissions cheating scandal.

US: Volkswagen reaffirms US investment commitments

30 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group has reaffirmed its planned investments for the US at Chattanooga and in the production of an all-new SUV for the US market. The statement from VW follows the recent harm done to the brand in the US following the diesel emissions scandal.

GERMANY: VW Group sets out steps to 'Strategy 2025'

29 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

While not actually setting out Volkswagen Group's new mid-term strategy, new CEO Matthias Müller has outlined five key steps to “realign the VW Group” and effectively replace the current company strategy, in the wake of the company's current crisis.

FRANCE: Lectra eyes VW and Takata woes as new opportunity

28 Oct 2015 | Simon Warburton

Technology solutions supplier, Lectra says the current woes afflicting Volkswagen and previously those at airbag manufacturer, Takata, present genuine opportunities for new business as the market adapts to potential alternatives.

GERMANY: VW Group slumps to quarterly loss on dieselgate provisions

28 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen has posted third quarter results that show a big swing to loss after the provision for costs associated with its diesel emissions scandal and pending recalls to fix the problems.

BRAZIL: Volkswagen to recall Amarok trucks with emission test cheat software

23 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen plans to recall 17,057 trucks in Brazil to correct the software that cheats in emissions tests.

GERMANY: Winterkorn quitting Porsche SE posts

19 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Martin Winterkorn will cease to be a member and chairman of the executive board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE on 31 October, the main shareholder in Volkswagen, the holding company said at the weekend. He'll be replaced by Porsche SE chief financial officer Hans Dieter Pötsch from 1 November.

GERMANY: VW poaches new integrity head with rival Daimler's help

19 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen group has poached its new head of integrity and legal affairs from Daimler with the full approval and cooperation of its rival.

GERMANY: VW confirms 8.5m cars to be recalled in Europe

15 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

The Volkswagen Group has confirmed it will recall a total of approximately 8.5m vehicles in Europe (EU28 markets), including some 2.4m vehicles in Germany, as part of its rectification measures following the diesel emissions scandal that originated in the US.

US: VW's new head of NA operations quits

15 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

In a shock move, Volkswagen's newly appointed head of North America, Winfried Vahland, is leaving the company less than three weeks after being assigned to the position.

GERMANY: Martin Winterkorn to step down from remaining positions within Volkswagen - reports

13 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Former Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn, who quit last month, will step down from his remaining posts related to the company, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and TV stations NDR and WDR reported, without citing sources. The resignations are expected in the coming days, as soon as a few remaining formalities have been dealt with, they said, according to Reuters.

GERMANY: Volkswagen board slashes investment EUR1bn a year

13 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen is to slash investment spending by EUR1bn a year, change diesel emissions control technology and launch an electric Phaeton flagship, the brand's management board announced on Tuesday.

COMMENT: VW’s crisis and the changed world of corporate PR

12 Oct 2015 | Chris Wright

As the Volkswagen emissions scandal continues to unfold I have, over the past couple of weeks, been asking a number of industry public and media relations people, along with some senior car company executives – off the record – how they would handle such a crisis, and indeed, how did they rate VW’s handling of the affair.

US: VW withdraws emissions certification application for 2016 diesels

8 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen, embroiled in an expanding scandal over its intentional cheating of Environmental Protection Agency emission standards with a so-called defeat device, has at least temporarily abandoned plans to include diesel models in its 2016 lineup, a media report said. The decision came to light late after Volkswagen's US chief executive, Michael Horn, released written copies of testimony he is expected to give before Congress on Thursday (8 October).

GERMANY: VW appoints Pötsch as chair of Supervisory Board

8 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group’s Supervisory Board has elected Hans Dieter Pötsch (64) as its chairman with immediate effect. As the VW emissions scandal swirls, Pötsch said he will do his ‘utmost to uncover the full truth of what happened’.

AUSTRALIA: Emissions crisis-affected VW Group tally rises to 90,000 vehicles

7 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

The number of Volkswagen Group vehicles sold in Australia fitted with devices designed to mask the level of emissions has risen to more than 90,000 from 77,000, to include the Audi brand, a media report said.

GERMANY: VW stopping Swedish Caddy sales

7 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen is stopping sales of its Caddy van in Sweden in the wake of the company's scandal over rigged emissions tests, a Volkswagen Group spokesman told newspaper Aftonbladet.

GERMANY: VW to start emissions recall in January

7 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen will launch a recall for cars affected by its diesel emissions crisis in January and complete the fix by the end of next year, new chief executive Matthias Mueller told a German newspaper.

GERMANY: Merkel says VW scandal has not hurt Germany's reputation

5 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the Volkswagen emissions scandal will not damage Germany's reputation as a good place to do business.

SWEDEN: "Diesel not dead" says defiant FKG supplier association

2 Oct 2015 | Simon Warburton

Scandinavian supplier body, FKG says despite the emissions conflagration currently sweeping through Volkswagen, it still believes diesel technology to be the future of powertrains, albeit one possibly allied to a hybrid model.

US: Diesel forecasts 'slashed' in wake of VW scandal

1 Oct 2015 | Dave Leggett

Industry analysts are rapidly revising their assessments of prospects for diesel-engined cars in the US market in the wake of the VW diesel emissions testing scandal. The US light vehicle market had seemed ripe for growth of volume and penetration for diesel-engines, but forecast penetration of diesel in the light vehicle market in the US has been significantly downgraded by automotive analysts at just-auto's QUBE research unit.

GERMANY: Prosecutors u-turn on Winterkorn probe

1 Oct 2015 | Graeme Roberts

German prosecutors have been forced into a U-turn in their investigation of former Volkswagen AG chief executive officer Martin Winterkorn after they may have been too quick to name the official as the focus of a probe, a media report said.

FRANCE: Royal to unveil emissions measures as Paris takes tough line

1 Oct 2015 | Simon Warburton

France is to outline measures later today (1 October) to tackle the fallout from the current Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal rocking Germany

UK: Volkswagen recalls 1.2m group diesels

30 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen's UK unit said on Wednesday (30 September) it would recall 1,189,906 vehicles sold in the UK fitted with the two-litre EU5 diesel engine produced from 2009 with the software behind the emissions scandal. The tally includes diesel VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda models plus VW commercial vehicles.

CANADA: $2.5bn class action launched against Volkswagen for diesel engine manipulation

30 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Toronto law firm Roy O'Connor has commenced a "proposed class action lawsuit action" against Volkswagen AG and a number of its subsidiaries in Canada relating to the manipulation of emissions data in a number of the froup's four cylinder, turbodiesel engines. The proposed action seeks damages in excess of C$2.5bn.

FRANCE: Paris to start real life emissions tests on 100 vehicles

30 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

France says it will take 100 randomly-selected cars in its domestic market and put them through real-life pollution emissions testing before comparing the results with those carried out under laboratory conditions.

US: Lawyers move to consolidate VW lawsuits

30 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

After a frenzy of class action lawsuits in the US since the Environmental Protection Agency revealed Volkswagen's emissions test cheating on 18 September, lawyers are now moving to consolidate widespread litigation into a prolonged legal case expected to spur rafts of depositions and demands for billions of dollars in damages, a media report said.

GERMANY: KBA probe extends beyond VW to foreign automakers

30 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Germany's Federal Motor Transport Office (KBA) says it is extending its diesel emissions probe to include other overseas manufacturers as the fallout from the Volkswagen defeat device scandal continues to ripple across the globe.

JAPAN: Government orders diesel car emissions probe after VW scandal

29 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Japan's transport ministry reportedly told four automakers that sell diesel vehicles in the domestic market - Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi - along with importers of European brands to report by Friday on whether their vehicles are fitted with the software that can 'game' pollution tests.

GERMANY: CO2 reductions in Europe not feasible without diesels - BMW

29 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

In a statement BMW has said that the progress achieved so far in CO2 reduction in Europe is largely due to the use of diesel technology and that diesels are essential to further progress.

GERMANY: VW may recall up to 11m cars

29 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has indicated it would recall up to 11m vehicles following the revelations it had cheated US diesel emissions tests. According to a Reuters report, newly appointed chief executive Matthias Mueller said the German carmaker had drawn up a "comprehensive" refit plan to be submitted to regulators aimed at ensuring its diesel models complied with emissions standards.

GERMANY: Defiant Bosch backs diesel but quiet on Volkswagen

29 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Bosch is remaining defiant in the current storm swirling around Volkswagen, insisting diesel technology is “indispensable” in achieving European emissions targets, but declines to discuss its business relationship with the German automaker..

SOUTH AFRICA: Regulators eyeing Volkswagen

29 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

South African regulators are investigating Volkswagen's local business to see if cars sold there also rigged carbon emissions data, an official has said. The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), which ensures vehicles comply with the necessary standards, including emissions, before being sold locally, said on its website all VW cars had met the requirements.

ANALYSIS: Europe diesel forecasts revised down on VW scandal

29 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

The expected decline of the popularity of diesel-fuelled vehicles in the European car market has been significantly accelerated in the light of the Volkswagen diesel emission fixing scandal according to research carried out by analysts at just-auto's QUBE research unit.

GERMANY: Volkswagen must provide plan to meet local emissions laws - report

28 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has reportedly been given a deadline of 7 October by the federal motor vehicle office of Germany (KBA) to come up with "binding measures and a timetable" for ensuring that all its diesel cars meet emissions standards.

EXCLUSIVE: German prosecutors focus on VW 'manipulated exhaust' values

28 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Public prosecutors in Germany have confirmed they are to launch an investigation against former Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn, particuarly focusing on 'manipulated exhaust values'.

GERMANY: VW Group reorganises management

28 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen's Supervisory Board has approved a new management structure for the group and the brands as well as for the North America region. The move came as the company reeled under the ongoing impact of the diesel emissions scandal and appointed a company veteran, Matthias Muller, as new CEO to replace Martin Winterkorn.

GERMANY: Prosecutors launch investigation into former VW CEO Winterkorn

28 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

German prosecutors have launched an investigation into former Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn as a result of the diesel emissions-rigging scandal, according to multiple media reports on Monday (28 September).

COMMENT: Where will the VW 'emissionsgate' story end?

28 Sep 2015 | Roger Stansfield

Where is this all going to end? That must be the feeling of Volkswagen group executives every morning as they watch the TV news bulletins and study the daily papers in the wake of the Emissionsgate scandal. Each new revelation or confession prompts a fresh set of questions. How many people knew about the defeat device to cheat diesel exhaust emissions tests? Who sanctioned it? And now that VW has owned up to fitting it to European cars as well as those in America, where the storm first blew in, could other group brands which do not sell in the US – such as Seat and Skoda – also become involved?

GERMANY: Merkel demands "absolute transparency" in VW scandal

28 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is demanding Volkswagen carry out an investigation with “absolute transparency” into the automaker's concession there had been discrepancies in its diesel emissions testing.

GERMANY: Matthias Müller appointed CEO of VW Group

25 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

As widely expected, Porsche chief Matthias Müller (62) has now been appointed CEO of Volkswagen with immediate effect following a meeting of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board in Wolfsburg today.

UK: Ratings agencies warn over VW crisis

25 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

Credit ratings agencies Standard & Poor's (S&P) and Moody's have both warned over the credit rating of crisis-hit Volkswagen.

COMMENT: Suppliers defensive in teeth of VW storm

25 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

If not exactly a stampede, there is certainly an orderly queue of suppliers beating a retreat to distance themselves from one of the greatest business scandals to rock Germany in decades.

BELGIUM: All 28 Euro club members tasked with emissions testing revamp

25 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Brussels is calling for “strict compliance” with polluting emissions regulations in the light of the Volkswagen scandal, which continues to rock Germany.

FRANCE: Valeo distances itself from Volkswagen maelstrom

25 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

French supplier Valeo is distancing itself from the current storm swirling around Volkswagen by noting it does not deliver control systems for diesel engines.

FRANCE/UK: Governments start eyeing vehicle emissions

24 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

The French and UK governments have announced new measures to scrutinise vehicle emissions in the wake of the VW scandal in the US, according to media reports.

GERMANY: Dealers, consumer groups, call for fast VW recall

24 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen must move quickly to recall and refit car models rigged to pass US emissions tests to limit the long-term impact on its reputation, dealers and consumer protection bodies have said.

GERMANY: BMW denies it has manipulated emission tests

24 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

BMW has said it has not manipulated emissions tests following damaging claims made in a German magazine about the emission levels of one of its diesel models.

GERMANY: More personnel changes expected at VW

24 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

As VW's internal investigation into the diesel emissions scandal gets underway, the company has warned that it is expecting “further personnel consequences in the next days”.

SWEDEN: FKG stunned by VW - calls for test harmonisation

24 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Scandinavian supplier body, FKG CEO, Fredrik Sidahl says he reacted with some disbelief to the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal erupting out of the US, while also calling for testing standardisation.

UK: Angela Merkel's ministers ignored emissions rigging warning - paper

24 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Angela Merkel’s German government turned a blind eye to Volkswagen emissions rigging, it has been claimed, according to a British media report. The news came after the automaker's CEO, Martin Winterkorn, resigned and the crisis continued to escalate worldwide.

US: New York Attorney General launches VW emissions probe

24 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

New York Attorney General, Eric Schneidermann says his office will launch an inquiry into software used on Volkswagen diesel cars, which featured discrepancies on emissions tests.

SOUTH KOREA: VW/Audi diesels to be re-tested

24 Sep 2015 | Staff reporter

South Korea's Environment Ministry says it will re-test Volkswagen and Audi’s diesel vehicle fuel-efficiency claims following the test-rigging scandal in the US.

GERMANY: VDA "dismayed" by emissions scandal as Winterkorn steps down

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Germany's powerful Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) says it is “dismayed” by the furore surrounding emissions testing results in the US and says it is taking the situation very seriously.

GERMANY: Winterkorn resigns from Volkswagen

23 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

Under pressure Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn has today announced his resignation. His resignation follows a turbulent few days for Volkswagen which has been rocked by revelations that it rigged diesel emission tests in the US.

BELGIUM: ACEA says no evidence for industry-wide emissions issues

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Europe's Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) says it understands the seriousness of the current situation surrounding Volkswagen's diesel emissions testing in the US, but insists it cannot find anything to suggest the matter is endemic in the industry.

FRANCE: Faurecia says no software in its components

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Faurecia has joined other suppliers in distancing itself from the current diesel emissions storm threatening to reach hurricane strength around Volkswagen.

UK: SMMT moves to highlight British emissions test stringency

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Britain's Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) insists there is no evidence to suggest any other company is involved in the diesel emissions scandal presently enveloping Volkswagen or that the issue is an industry-wide one.

US: EPA now examining VW/Audi/Porsche V6 diesels

23 Sep 2015 | Glenn Brooks

An official with the United States' Environmental Protection Agency has reportedly told the Detroit News that vehicles powered by the Volkswagen Group's 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine are being tested for potential exhaust emissions irregularities.

GERMANY: VW CEO under pressure as board convenes for special session

23 Sep 2015 | Dave Leggett

Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn is coming under growing pressure as the emissions scandal continues to make headlines around the world. Reports say that Winterkorn faced an emergency meeting with board members today to explain the unfolding crisis and the company's response.

GERMANY: Component integration automaker responsibility: Bosch

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Bosch says it is up to automakers how they integrate components into complete vehicle systems as the diesel emissions hurricane engulfing Volkswagen gathers momentum.

GERMANY: Berlin orders urgent VW meeting in Wolfsburg as storm blows

23 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Germany's Transport Ministry, the Bundesministerium für Verkehr und Digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI), has convened an urgent meeting with Volkswagen at its headquarters in Wolfsburg to discuss the rapidly escalating crisis surrounding its diesel emissions testing discrepancies in the US.

FRANCE: Paris wades into VW storm and demands inquiry

22 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

France's Energy Minister has demanded national automakers ensure similar testing procedures to those currently engulfing Volkswagen in the US have not been carried out as an "in depth inquiry" is launched.

UK: SMMT asks for new EC emissions test as VW storm swirls

22 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Britain's Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) says it is seeking a new emissions test from the European Commission (EC) as the diesel testing storm swirling around Volkswagen gathers pace.

GERMANY: VW allocates EUR6.5bn for EPA scandal costs

22 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen, clearly in damage control mode, has said it "is working at full speed to clarify irregularities concerning a particular software used in diesel engines" and "to cover the necessary service measures and other efforts to win back the trust of our customers", plans to book a charge "of some EUR6.5bn" in the third quarter of this financial year.

GERMANY: Plastic Omnium puts blue water between it and VW

22 Sep 2015 | Simon Warburton

Plastic Omnium has moved swiftly to distance itself from the Volkswagen diesel emissions data furore, which some have speculated could see the German automaker landed with astonishing fines of up to US$18bn in the US alone..

COMMENT: Will VW CEO Winterkorn survive this crisis?

21 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Monday is barely half over here in Europe and just starting on the east coast of the US - where news of the scandal broke on Friday night our time - and already it's looking like the timing of the EPA's announcement, and the fast-growing fallout therefrom, could not have come at a worse time for Volkswagen and, especially, its CEO Martin Winterkorn.

US: VW orders 'stop sale' of some diesels after EPA recall order

21 Sep 2015 | Graeme Roberts

Volkswagen has told US dealers to halt sales of some 2015 diesel cars after US government regulators found software it designed for the affected vehicles gave false emissions data and ordered a recall of close to a half million cars, the company said on Sunday, announcing it had launched an investigation. In a statement on Sunday, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn said: "I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public."

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