It all started in the US when the American EPA agency discovers Volkswagen’s use of software that modified emissions data
by Corrado Canali
It all started in the US when the American EPA agency discovers Volkswagen’s use of software that modified emissions data
3 ‘of reading
It was mid-September 2015, in the middle of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the German auto industry was celebrating its power. The stands, indeed the pavilions of the Volkswagen group are glittering: blinding lights and maniacally polished cars. Nothing suggests the tsunami that in a few days (18 to be precise) will hit the German mega group: Dieselgate, the scandal of rigged emissions. To tell the truth, speaking with managers such as the head of technology Ulrich Hackenberg, or observing the face of CEO Martin Winterkorn, there was a tense mood. September 18 is a day that the automotive industry will never forget: the US Agency for environmental protection, the EPA, accuses Volkswagen of illegally using software to circumvent the regulations on nitrogen oxides emissions and the United States government orders Volkswagen to reprogram a total of 500,000 cars that had 1,600 and 2000 engines under the hood cc TDI
The resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn
In the days immediately following the Volkswagen stock has heavy losses and the CEO Martin Winterkorn, after apologizing, resigns on 23 September. In his place, Matthias Muller was appointed, until then at the helm of the Porsche brand. The day before the sensational change at the summit, the German company had declared that the vehicles affected by the so-called defeat device were a total of 11 million around the world. An enormous figure capable of undermining the future of what was once the most important automotive group in the world.
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The figures of the compensation paid in the US
On January 10, 2017, Volkswagen after pleading guilty announces that it will pay 4.3 billion dollars to close the dispute over the scandal, which has had serious repercussions on the sales of the German company during 2016. The amount disbursed by the Wolfsburg group is adds to the 15 billion dollars with which, in June 2016, the German house had closed the class actions established in the United States, bringing the total to almost 20 billion dollars, the equivalent of 18 billion euros.
All managers arrested on fraud charges
On January 7, 2017 Oliver Schmidt, a Volkswagen executive in the USA, was arrested in Florida on charges of fraud in relation to the affair. In July 2017, Giovanni Pamio, former Audi manager was accused in the US of fraud and violation of environmental laws. The manager, of Italian origin, will then be arrested in Germany. On 26 August 2017, James Robert Liang, a former Volkswagen engineer was sentenced to 40 months in prison in the United States. On June 18, 2018, the German police arrested Audi CEO Rupert Stadler for fraud, false statements and omissions. He will then resign from Audi.
In July 2017, the Dieselgate bursts into Europe.
The Antitrust of the European Union begins its investigation on a possible cartel implemented by the German car brands, namely between Volkswagen, Daimler, Bmw, Audi and Porsche. The Stuttgart brand is opposed, as its models under accusation used Audi engines. To the point that Porsche decides to claim 200 million in compensation from Audi. Meanwhile, the company with the four rings had already decided to recall 127,000 vehicles after the German national transport authority, KBA, declared the emission control software for Euro 6 turbodiesel engines non-compliant.