Audi, Porsche R&D chiefs, Volkswagen US CEO to quit, source says

Ulrich Hackenberg, chief technology officer of VW’s Audi unit, and Wolfgang Hatz, board member for research and development at VW’s Porsche AG, will lose their jobs over the scandal, two people familiar with the situation said Thursday. At the same time, Matthias Mueller, current head of Porsche, will be move into former CEO Martin Winterkorn’s position.

Two top managers from Audi and Porsche are allegedly set to leave their posts Friday amid continuing controversy over Volkswagen diesel cars that reportedly cheated on emissions road tests in the United States to appear more environmentally friendly.

“I am shocked by the events of the past few days”.

The US Environmental Protection Agency disclosed Friday that VW used software that reduced emissions during smog testing but then turned off during regular driving.

What VW failed to explain was that the letters were part of a recall meant to satisfy government regulators who were looking into discrepancies between laboratory emissions test results and pollution levels emitted by the cars under normal use. “I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation”, Winterkorn wrote in the same statement. “Volkswagen needs a fresh start – also in terms of personnel”, he said in a statement.

“As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group”.

Volkswagen claims that there are 11 million of its diesel vehicles around the globe with the emissions-cheating software. Others say they are joining class-action lawsuits against VW.