Investigators at Volkswagen are not only looking for the culprits who installed illegal emissions cheating software into their cars, but they’re also looking for managers who didn’t immediately report the devices as well, the New York Times reported.
Up to 10 managers and engineers could be suspended by the automaker for the scandal so far, including top-level executives.
According to the New York Times, investigators have been keen to learn who knew what within the automaker, and how quickly those findings were reported.
The investigation by U.S. firm Jones Day could take months, according to the report. A person who was briefed on the inquiry told the newspaper what investigators were looking for.
Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn told congressional investigators he was made aware of a potential problem in the spring of 2014, but wasn’t aware of illegal software until Sept. 2015.
More than 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with an illegal device designed to cheat emissions testers and fool regulatory authorities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board notified the automaker last month that its cars violated emissions standards by illegally polluting up to 40 times more nitrogen oxides than allowed.
Winterkorn spent 4 minutes exploring the finer points of a Hyundai tilt steering wheel with his minions but didn’t know about a modification to 11 million vehicles over 6 years.
If you really believe that, I’d like to discuss some ocean front property in Arizona with you…
Winterkorn is a figurehead, Sgt Schultz is the real power behind the throne.
I SEE NOTHING.
You mean Oberfeldwebel Piech.
Piech, I’d love to find out what he knew…but may be we won’t…
“More than 11 million cars worldwide were equipped with an illegal device designed to cheat emissions testers and fool regulatory authorities. ”
I thought that they were technically only “illegal” in the US, and perhaps Canada. Did I miss something?
Last I checked (and I admit to skipping some of the countless VW articles), authorities outside of the US were still scrambling to find something to charge VW with. I don’t think “they lied and that hurt our feelings” is an actual charge. European authorities can’t charge VW with selling non-compliant vehicles, because then they would have to charge everybody who sells in that market, meaning the whole European auto industry.
This has been covered elsewhere, but for a quick run down of what VW has admitted guilt to:
False statements in Clean Air Act Documents
Tampering with monitoring device required under the Clean Air Act
Conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act
Lying to federal investigators
Fraud (in marketing to consumers)
I’m not a lawyer, but I’m fairly sure there are several of them working hard on more charges for VW. VW will be lucky if this doesn’t end in a perp-walk for some people.
The Clean Air Act is US-only. I’m still not sure that they broke any laws outside the US.
VW has admitted to cheating emission standards in 11 million countries worldwide.
I’m not sure what else you need.
They’ve admitted that “cheating software” was installed outside of the US, but that’s doesn’t mean that they are guilty of breaking a law. Every automaker tunes their European cars to pass the test, and everybody in Europe knows that the their cars will never attain official EU mileage figures.
There’s been lots of talk about various European countries investigating this issue, but no actual charges yet (that I know of). I suspect that EU authorities would have to charge every automaker if they were to pursue this (and Europeans mostly buy locally-made cars, making this an own-goal), so they will probably do nothing in the end.
I don’t know the specifics of what they have admitted to in Europe (and I don’t feeling like sifting through German news right now), but they are recalling vehicles in Europe:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/10/total-recall-volkswagen-group-will-fix-8-5m-vehicles-eu/
“Volkswagen Group will recall 8.5 million vehicles in the European Union’s 28 member states, including the 2.4 million vehicles it is already being forced to recall by the KBA, Germany’s transportation authority, the automaker announced Thursday.
Vehicles from the Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda brands are included in the recall. The latest EA 288 diesel engine is not part of the recall.”
So maybe they didn’t admit to wrongdoing per say, but apparently they have to fix the cars somehow for some reason.
There haven’t been any formal charges against VW in the US yet, either.
The Germans are pursuing a criminal investigation. Ditto the Italians and Norwegians. But that’s the point right now, it’s still investigative everywhere.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/11895848/BREAKING-2.1-million-Audi-cars-fitted-with-VW-emissions-cheat-devices.html
Bound to be charges since VW has admitted the software is in over 11 million cars worldwide, but not who was responsible internally because, wink, wink, they don’t know, but have let ten people go for apparently just breathing thw wrong way. Just a matter of time before Mr Plod sorts it out and comes after real people and VW while they’re at it.
Meanwhile in the US, every AG and the Justice Dept plus EPA and CARB are also on the warpath. And the “You don’t pay unless we win” lawyers are practising dramatic poses in front of full-length mirrors, while pondering the best haircut and clothes to wear at trial.
How low do you go? Are some mid career project managers that didn’t have a path to upper management positions going to become fall guys for not destroying their own careers over awareness of an institutional solution to the regulatory environment? I’ll laugh if VW goes away and the rest of their empire is spread by the wind, but singling out nobodies for keeping their heads down is psychotic.
Your best comment evah!
Agreed, CJ. Also, anyone who did speak up may have lost their jobs years ago. This should be looked into as well.
Now is the time for ex-Stasi to come forward and finally get a little something for their remaining years. They can definitely produce all the culprits required.
I’ve worked in manufacturing plants, you can’t keep any secrets. Everybody knows everything. I’m sure that everyone knew all about it. Maybe body engineers, chassis engineers weren’t in on it. All of the electrical engineers, engine engineers had to know.
I have to agree. I’ve worked for two manufacturers (not auto), one as an engineer – there were very few secrets to the good, bad, and ugly.
When my employer got nailed with a class action lawsuit for false advertising over our telephony solutions, there wasn’t an engineer who was surprised. The suits told us ship it. I refused to sign off on the release process and moved out of the release team to another role in the company.
VW is like any other institutionalised organisation. There is an order of protection designed to protect those who are the real culprits.
It goes like this;
1. The institution is protected first,
2. the chain of command (management)is next in line for protection, and
3. finally, the pleb or fall guy and/or the victim are protected.
All institutions, political, government, corporations, etc, operate with this philosophy. That’s why the mister bigs never pay the price for their actions.
I do think the upper levels of VW should be the ones to take the fall on this one, not the engineer working in some back room, who is just working as told.
As someone noted above, the people who designed and engineered the emissions work around, don’t have the clout to protect themselves from those above who will be intent on saving their own asses.
VW’s repeated attempts to push the blame down makes them look worse than the initial scandal.
If low level workers and managers didn’t say anything, it’s because they were afraid of their jobs (or worse). Don’t turn around and make them the scapegoat.
I’m not clear on whether this article refers to internal investigators (meaning people within Volkswagen or hired by Volkswagen) or external ones (people working for the U.S. government, for example).
If it’s the latter, it’s strange. Typically, the monolithic nature of an automaker keeps individual people whose duties were to carry out the deeds (engineers) from being held responsible for scandals like this, especially when it comes to being complicit by way of knowing and not speaking up. The entire company is liable. But if the U.S. government wants to start that kind of precedent, the next time GM or Ford or somebody knowingly releases a car with parts that are defective and that have the propensity to end lives, the engineers responsible should be criminally tried in a court of law.
The goal should be to start at the top. The engineers who developed and implemented the solution were doing what they were told to do. Ultimately, we may never know how that was communicated, I.e overt threat of job retention, lack of promotion, bonus etc. The brass at most companies has tools at its disposal to get the results needed even if said results are nepharious in nature.
This whole deal is shameful, not that I was lining up to purchase a VW, I’ve had 3 which is plenty, but certainly will not be heading to VAG showroom for quite some time. If ever.
“Misprision of a felony.”
Within the EU only the Netherlands and Sweden voted to have stricter testing by 2017. France, Italy and Germany lobbied for leniency until 2019 or even 2021 to allow diesel cars emit 60% to even 100% more pollutants. I believe the European Commission is about to decide on this today.