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VW Says Diesel Cheating Was Flagged in 2014
Volkswagen AG initially claimed its diesel emission cheating was the work of a small group.
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Volkswagen AG initially claimed its diesel emission cheating was the work of a small group. Now it says some managers discovered the issue two years ago, but upper management was slow to grasp its importance.
New documents indicate then-CEO Martin Winterkorn received multiple memos in 2014 that pointed out many of the company’s diesels were rigged to manipulate emission test results. VW confirms the cheating occurred as the company rushed to meet tough emission standards, especially in the U.S.
But the company says it isn’t clear whether he read the messages. Winterkorn has insisted he knew nothing about the scandal until shortly before it was made public last September.
VW disclosed the details on Wednesday in a response to a shareholder lawsuit filed in Germany over the company’s use of cheater software in 11 million diesels. The complaint alleges that the company knew about the problem but failed to alert its shareholder promptly.
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