During his testimony, Horn repeatedly apologized and expressed shock regarding Volkswagen Groups’ betrayal of trust, going as far to say he feels deceived by his own company.
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Meanwhile, while the United States lawmakers proved they were unsatisfied with the explanation provided, they also slammed the Environmental Protection Agency and its official called to testify after Horn for not uncovering the ploy earlier. The cars, though, emit 10 to 40 times the nitrogen oxide pollution that’s allowed under federal law. “There seems to be a pervasive culture of deception in this industry and it has to stop now”.
During televised questioning from a USA congressional committee, Michael Horn, the CEO Volkswagen Group’s American arm, admitted that the upcoming fix will have an impact on performance, although he seemed to imply that the hit will not be that significant.
The “refit” Volkswagen promised to announce in the coming days, after being given an October 7 deadline by the German government, may involve not only tweaks to the software but additional…
In the USA, a timeline for the fix of 325,000 cars with first-generation TDI diesel engines was not outlined.
This week, according to Michael Horn, the president and CEO of Volkswagen America, the company has withdrawn all of its 2016 model diesel vehicle’s EPA certification applications, delaying sales for the model. Horn said the company is looking at how to compensate owners but that its plans are to fix the cars, not repurchase them. For those, new hardware will be needed to comply with emissions standards. Texas Congressman Joe Barton asked him: “Do you really believe, as good, as well-run as Volkswagen has always been reputed to be, that senior level corporate managers, administrators, had no knowledge for years and years?”
That’s the bomb he dropped while testifying to a room full of USA lawmakers today.
German public prosecutors have raided the company’s headquarters in Wolfsburg and other places as part of their investigation into the falsifying of diesel emissions. Earlier in the hearing, Horn said the revelations “do not reflect the company that I know and to which I have dedicated 25 years of my life”.
Horn was not certain if cost was a factor in the decision to deactivate emissions control systems, adding, “I think it’s dead wrong if you put corporate profits before people”. “This was something individuals did”.
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Mr Horn told the panel he was informed about a “possible emissions non-compliance” in the spring of 2014.
