Audi Tech Development Chief Departs

Peter Mertens, an Audi AG board member in charge of technical development, is leaving the company due to health reasons.

Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler, who currently is in charge of VW Group’s quality assurance, will succeed Mertens on Nov. 1. Rothenpieler joined VW in 1986 after serving in senior engineering and management positions for Bentley, Skoda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Mertens (pictured) joined Audi in 2016 and has held his current position since May 2017. He previously was head of research for Volvo Cars.

Mertens was notably absent at the unveiling of Audi’s e-tron electric vehicle earlier this month. In a statement, Mertens said he would not be able to “fully manage” the demands of Audi’s planned product rollout over the next 16 months.

The news comes on the same day VW announced it is delaying a decision about the fate of Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, who has been in jail since June on charges related to the carmaker’s diesel emission cheating problem. Mertens’ predecessors at Audi, Ulrich Hackenberg and Stefan Knirsch, both lost their jobs because of the scandal.