Volkswagen’s US head: Individuals did emissions cheating

He said he was told by his staff that U.S. authorities might conduct thorough emissions tests soon.

Since the EPA issued the November to Volkswagen, the price of the company’s share has fallen sharply and it former CEO of Volkswagen AG Martin Winterkorn has resigned for it.

Volkswagen switched engines to a cleaner mode during official tests, but once on the road, the cars (including the top-selling Golf and Passat models as well as the Audi A3) produced nitrogen oxide pollutants at up to 40 times the legal standard. According to VW, only vehicles with Type EA 189 engines were involved, but it added that it was still investigating to what extent the software interfered illegally with vehicles.

The decision came to light late Wednesday afternoon after Volkswagen’s US chief executive, Michael Horn, released written copies of testimony he is expected to give before Congress on Thursday.

Needless to say, the subcommittee’s members weren’t buying his explanation, with representative Chris Collins (R., N.Y.) calling it “inadequate” and “a sign of arrogance”, scolding Horn by telling him that the automaker’s leadership is either “incompetent” or “complicit in a massive coverup”.

Horn said that although he found out that the emissions of VW diesel cars did not meet USA regulations in early 2014, he only understood the existence of the cheating software “a couple days” before September 3, when the company admitted to us regulators that it existed.

Horn said that while the company offers its “sincere apology” for the use of the defeat devices, corporate leadership in Germany believes that the installation of these devices was the work of a few rogue engineers.

There has already been a purge of top jobs at VW, but more heads may yet roll. “I again apologize on behalf of everyone at Volkswagen”.

In the U.S., nearly half a million cars, mostly Volkswagen’s flagship Passat vehicles, will have to be recalled.

“We have broken the trust of our customers, dealerships, employees as well as the public and the regulators”.

“We are in the midst of the ongoing investigation into VW’s actions”.

In written testimony submitted to a congressional oversight panel a day ahead of Thursday’s hearing, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Michael Horn said: “In the spring of 2014…”

“(Volkswagen Group) understands that this has been a hard time and apologises for any disappointment and inconvenience felt by our customers, staff, dealers and partners”.