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Volkswagen CEO Issues Apology Over Emission-Cheating Software

Posted by samzenpus on from the our-bad dept.

cartechboy writes: Last Friday we learned that Volkswagen got caught cheating on emissions testing via software programming. The punishment? It could get slapped with up to $18 billion in fines. While the company has yet to admit to any wrong doing, the CEO has now issued a formal apology and said the automaker will cooperate fully with any and all investigations. It's issued a stop-sale on all new and used TDI vehicles until further notice. VW's currently in talks with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board in regards to these allegations. It's also ordered an external investigation of its own into the matter. Whether criminal charges will be filed is yet to be seen.

13 of 301 comments (clear)

  1. That'll teach you... by bob_super · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When Toyota had the audacity of becoming number 1, their CEO got dragged in front of the US congress about some acceleration issues.
    VW just made the mistake of becoming number 1, and suddenly we discover they've been cheating at emissions. Expect a congress hearing and lots of demands for sanctions.

    Was there a punishment when GM recently had a major oops?

    1. Re:That'll teach you... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Was there a punishment when GM recently had a major oops?

      Nope, their whole ignition switch failure was swept under the rug with only about 20 million vehicles recalled, and a paltry 900 million dollar forfeiture.

    2. Re:That'll teach you... by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 5, Insightful

      cheating at emissions

      This wasn't just some simple "cheating" . . . this was large scale "fraud". If the Feds in the US wanted to, they could RICO VW. That would essentially put them out of business in the US. But VW has a puny market share in the US, when compared to other foreign auto producers in the VW or Audi price range. So the government in the US is probably thinking of what the collateral damage would be for VW car dealerships, independent mechanics, etc. VW got the worst possible penalty that anyone can levy: the VW stock got mauled. Their brand has been emasculated.

      But the worst is yet to come. Germans take their reputation for great engineering very seriously. The German government is now pissed off at this as well. For Americans, this would be like a team cheating in the Super Bowl. Germans and their cars, have a relationship like Americans do with their guns.

      The CEO of VW can start cleaning out his desk, and a bunch of executives will be headless in the coming weeks, as well. That serves them right. However, in typical corporate fashion, VW will end up firing ordinary, innocent workers, who had nothing to do with the fraud at all.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    3. Re:That'll teach you... by turbidostato · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "Nope, their whole ignition switch failure was swept under the rug with only about 20 million vehicles recalled, and a paltry 900 million dollar forfeiture."

      So here we are talking about 500.000 cars instead of 20.000.000 (40x less) but the fines could reach 18.000.000.000 instead of 900.000.000 (20x more).

      Overall German-based WV may be fined 800x more per car than US-based GM.

      Quite interesting.

    4. Re:That'll teach you... by tipo159 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The CEO of VW can start cleaning out his desk, and a bunch of executives will be headless in the coming weeks, as well. That serves them right. However, in typical corporate fashion, VW will end up firing ordinary, innocent workers, who had nothing to do with the fraud at all.

      Written by someone who does not understand the on-going boardroom drama at VW.

      The VW Group CEO (Winterkorn) recently came out ahead in a boardroom battle in April. I have to wonder if his Winterkorn's opponent (Piech) knew that this was coming.

    5. Re:That'll teach you... by ThatsLoseNotLoose · · Score: 4, Insightful

      GM only killed people.

      VW committed a far worse crime. They offended the regulators.

  2. Does this at least mean.... by mark-t · · Score: 4, Insightful

    .... that testers will stop trusting a car's own reports about its emissions?

    If not, nothing was learned here. Either by accident or intentionally, it will happen again, eventually.

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
  3. 18 billion dollars, good luck with that by burtosis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This will be reduced to some completely unimportant sum like 18 million. Further its hilarious how the CEO is blaming rogue American engineers when it's clearly a upper management decision. Reading 'they launched an independent investigation' actually made me spit up my coffee it was so hilarious.

  4. Re:What? "We're sorry we got caught"? by The+Real+Dr+John · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obamacare was based on Romneycare from MA, which was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. So you are saying Obama is a secret Republican? If so, then I agree completely. He wages war like a Republican, he deports immigrants like a Republican, he drills for oil and gas like a Republican, even in the arctic, and he goes after whistleblowers and journalists just like a Republican. So I think you've got something there.

    --
    A brain is a terrible thing to waste... Mind? That's debatable.
  5. Re:What? "We're sorry we got caught"? by toadlife · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And in all practical terms doesn't resemble that smaller state-level program in any meaningful way.

    Are you fucking kidding me? It's a CLONE of Romneycare.

    Unprecedented.

    As was the abuse of the filibuster by Republicans, so I guess they're even then, right?

    --
    I don't always use unix-like operating systems; but when I do, I prefer FreeBSD.
  6. Re: What? "We're sorry we got caught"? by GuB-42 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It depends a lot on your driving. If you do a steady 100 km/h on the highway, your mileage will be excellent. At 130 km/h, you may use about 20% more, and can more than double if you take the road for a race track.
    Maybe your driving is more economical than most.

  7. Re: What? "We're sorry we got caught"? by WolfWithoutAClause · · Score: 1, Insightful

    You will almost certainly not achieve that, you'll get closer than you would in America- it helps a lot that European gallons are 1/3 bigger.

    --

    -WolfWithoutAClause

    "Gravity is only a theory, not a fact!"
  8. Re:CRAP! I have one of those. by jerryjnormandin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    diesel is different from gasoline. optimizing power and performance has a lot to do with fuel injection timing. We tested my 2014 TDI at a local shop. NOx was higher when tested with just a probe in the exhaust... when connected to the state inspection system you can smell the DPF regen cycle kicking (fuel is injected in the exhaust and ignited to incinerate ash collected in the DPF) in and the engine fuel injection timing changed. NOx was low. But injection on the early side results in performance loss and lower mpg.