GM tabbed the automaker’s head transmission engineer to be interim chief of the firm’s global powertrain operations while the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement for Sam Winegarden, who was fired in the wake of an emissions testing scandal in India.
Jim Lanzon, 62, is currently vice president of GM, global transmissions, a position he’s held for 11 years and had an important role in negotiating the recently announced agreement between GM and Ford Motor Co. over jointly developing new 9- and 10-speed automatic transmissions. Like Winegarden, Lanzon has been a longtime GM employee.
GM acknowledged to Indian authorities that there were irregularities in their compliance testing, two popular models have been pulled from the market and at least one model has been recalled. India media has reported that GM India employees substituted ringer engines with superior emissions performance in SUVs and cars submitted for testing.
Not terribly surprised that this is coming from a BRIC. One of the downsides of the massive growth in these markets has been that the practice of sidestepping the rules has always been the norm. It’s going to take a while for regulation to stick.
Kind of a black eye for GM on the global front, although, I feel like it’s something that happens here with EPA testing (only slightly less disguised.)