Volkswagen
307 articles in this category
-
Volkswagen is trying to save as much cash as they can to help offset the upcoming fines and penalties due to the cheating devices they fitted to a number of diesel vehicles. We have reported that Volkswagen is in the process of freezing and reevaluating a number of projects. Now it seems the German automaker is making cuts in the trims and variants it offers. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen will be cutting back on the number of trims and variants that it offers. Bernd Osterloh, a superviso
You'll Be Seeing Less Trims and Varients on Offer At Volkswagen
-
With the new Golf coming to the U.S. later this year, Volkswagen decided it would be a good time to give the Jetta a bit of a refresh. Vinay Shahani, Volkswagen's vice president of marketing tells Autoblog that the company is planning a refreshed Jetta that will arrive later this year. Expect subtle tweaks to the exterior and interior, and maybe some new features. Shahani also revealed that the next-generation Jetta SportWagen would be arriving early, however it will not have the Jetta nameplat
With a new Golf on the way, Volkswagen decides to refresh the Jetta. Plus, changes for the Jetta Wagon.
-
Volkswagen has already missed one deadline set by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on reaching a deal with the U.S. Government over the diesel emission scandal. Breyer has given them a second deadline of April 21st. Now the administrator of the EPA worries they could miss the second one. Speaking to reporters at a breakfast, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said she has concerns about the two groups being able to reach a deal before the deadline. "I wouldn't take any single signal as th
Who is worried about missing the April 21st deadline? The administrator of the EPA.
-
When the Volkswagen Eos ends production in a few months time, that will leave Volkswagen with only one convertible in their lineup - the Beetle Cabriolet. But Car and Driver says a replacement is on the way. According to a source at Volkswagen, the company is planning on sending the next-generation Golf Cabriolet. No timeframe was given as to when we'll see it, but expect it not to look that much different from the current model sold elsewhere. Now it should be noted that the Golf Cabri
What takes place of the Volkswagen Eos? The Golf Cabriolet.
-
It seemed like it would never happen. But today in a federal courtroom in Calfornia, Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department announced they have reached an agreement over the 570,000 2.0L diesel vehicles equipped with illegal software that cheated EPA emission tests. The preliminary "agreement in principle" states the Volkswagen will give owners the option of selling their affected TDI vehicles back to VW or have the vehicle modified to meet U.S. emission standards. Those who are leasing
We thought it was never going to happen, but it did! Volkswagen and the U.S. Justice Department reach an agreement.
-
We've been hearing about Volkswagen's three-row crossover for the U.S. for the past few years. Spy shots have been coming out about this vehicle, but there wasn't much you could tell about them. The only thing you could was the test mules having a similar shape to the CrossBlue concept from 2013. But a new set of spy shots give us an idea of what the production model will look like. The front end seems to be lining up with the upcoming Volkswagen Tiguan with a larger grille and slim headligh
We get our first real look at the production version of Volkswagen's three-row crossover
-
At last month's court hearing where Volkswagen announced a deal had been reached with the U.S. Government on the 2.0L TDI engine, we learned the two were still in negotiations over the 3.0L TDI V6. Now it seems that issue is coming to a close. Bloomberg has learned from sources that Volkswagen and U.S. Government are ironing out technical details and reviewing test results of a possible software fix for the engine. It is said that a new catalytic converter could be part of this as well. Sour
We finally get an update on the Volkswagen Group's 3.0L TDI V6
-
A number of Volkswagen executives will not be seeing their full bonus for 2015. In a statement today, Volkswagen announced bonus payments for top executives will be cut "significantly." This announcement comes a week after it was revealed that Volkswagen Group Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch would be getting about 10 million euros (about $11.4 million) as compensation for stepping down as the company's CFO. News about this bonus angered Volkswagen's labor leaders and the state of Lower Saxony,
Volkswagen's Tone deafness rears its ugly head once again, this time with executive bonuses
-
Volkswagen's recent shareholder meeting could be best described as discordant as many shareholders spewed venom at various Volkswagen executives - most being laid on Volkswagen AG Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch. Bloomberg reports that shareholders grilled various executives on the handling of the diesel emission scandal. Poetsch received the brunt of the criticism with many shareholders expressing concerns of him overseeing the internal investigation of a mess that began when he was the compan
Volkswagen's Shareholders are none too happy with the company
-
In light of a scandal, the one item a company needs is stability. Unfortunately for Volkswagen, the diesel emission scandal has seemed to bring growing levels of instability. Case in point is the announcement of Dr. Winfried Vahland stepping down. Vahland was picked to become the head of Volkswagen's North American unit only a few weeks back. In a statement released by the automaker, the two had "differing views" on the company's new structure and his departure is "expressly not related" to
Volkswagen's New North American Chief Says Goodbye and At Least 30 People Are Involved in the Emission Cheating
-
Volkswagen's dealers find themselves wondering what's next and if the diesel scandal would end. Dealers seemed hopeful when the initial fallout came as Volkswagen seemed to understand what could happen. The German automaker offered emergency aid to its dealers which earned Volkswagen of America's CEO Michael Horn a standing ovation at Volkswagen's national meeting. But three months on and a scandal that seems to go in a new direction every day, dealers are becoming worried and frustrated
Volkswagen's Dealers Are Wondering What's Next and If There Is A Solution
-
After Volkswagen admitted that it used software to vary the amount of emissions being produced in their diesel vehicles, Volkswagen is using a legal loophole to provide a defense in Europe. In a letter sent last week to European regulators, Volkswagen Group Managing Director Paul Willis said that the company's cheat software might not be illegal under current European Union regulations. Crazy as might sound, there is a loophole that allows this. The New York Times reports that the Europe
Volkswagen's Cheating Software Might Not Be Illegal In Europe Due To A Loophole
-
Nearly four years ago, Volkswagen made the pronouncement that it wanted to be the world's largest automaker by 2018. But in light of the diesel scandal, Volkswagen is taking that dream off the table and focusing on trying to survive. Today, Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller announced a new plan called Strategy 2025 that will focus on improving profit rather than volume growth. The plan will be developed over the next few months and will be shown sometime next year. “Many people outsid
Volkswagen's CEO says the plan going forward is focusing on profit
-
Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller told a group of 20,000 employees today in Germany that the company will be cancelling and delaying a number of projects in light of the diesel emission scandal. "Therefore we are putting all planned investments under review. What is not urgently needed will be scrapped or delayed. And therefore we will adjust our efficiency program. I will be very open: this won't be painless," said Muller. Fixing around 11 million vehicles around the world that are affect
Volkswagen's CEO Announces They'll Be Cutting and Delaying A Number of Projects
-
You would think the last thing anyone Volkswagen wants to admit is they still believe there is a place for their diesel vehicles in the U.S. Alas, Volkswagen's brand chief thinks differently. Herbert Diess told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show that Diesels will still have a place in Volkswagen's U.S. lineup, despite the mess the company finds itself in. “I wouldn’t give up diesel, even in the U.S.,” said Diess. Diess pointed that with the latest emission technologies, diese
Volkswagen's Brand Chief Says There Is Still A Place for Diesels In the U.S.
-
We're getting close to entering the seventh month of not having a fix for Volkswagen's cheating TDI engines in the U.S. A couple weeks back, a Federal judge in California gave Volkswagen a deadline of March 24th to provide a definitive status of a fix. But Volkswagen might not have the answer the judge or affected owners want. In an interview with German newspaper Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, Volkswagen brand boss Herbert Deiss said it could take months before Volkswagen and U.S. authorit
Volkswagen's brand boss says it might be months before a deal with U.S. regulators is reached
-
Volkswagen is turning towards plug-in hybrid technology for the majority of its models till longer range batteries become a reality. This was announced at Volkswagen's annual media conference yesterday by Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn. Why plug-in hybrid tech? Winterkorn explained that plug-in hybrids are the best stop-gap technology with reducing emissions without sacrificing range. Now that doesn't mean Volkswagen isn't stopping work on electric vehicles. The automaker is currently w
Volkswagen will be introducing more plug-in hybrid models until battery technology improves.
-
On Friday, Volkswagen made an announcement that many of us were expecting, cutting its massive R&D budget. The company will cut 1 billion Euros (about $1.1 billion) from R&D to prepare itself for the massive fines that will be heading its way in the near future due to the emission scandal. Along with this, Volkwagen announced that it would be capping spending on property, plant and equipment at around 12 billion euros ($12.8 billion) for next year. This is about eight percent smaller
Volkswagen Tightens Its Belt Further In Light of the Diesel Emission Scandal
-
This morning at Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, executives admitted there were parts of the company "tolerated breaches of rules" and would be 'relentless' in finding those involved in the diesel emission scandal. Volkswagen Chairman Hans Dieter Pötsch told reporters at the press conference that investigations into the affair were going well, but it would take time for the investigation to figure out which individuals were the key players. Poestch also reiterated that a smal
Volkswagen Talks About Their Investigations, Admits There Were Breaches of Rules
-
Tomorrow, we find out the details of the settlement between Volkswagen and the U.S. Government over the diesel emission scandal. As we reported last week, sources told various news outlets that part of the settlement would include compensation payments from $1,000 to $7,000 to owners. A European Union commissioner believes that should be extended to those in Europe. EU Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska tells German newspaper Welt am Sonntag that Volkswagen should set up a similar com
Volkswagen should compensate owners in Europe like those in the U.S.
-
Another week has passed and some new information has come to light in the Volkswagen diesel scandal. First off, Volkswagen has confirmed one of their diesel engines doesn't have the cheat. The EA 288 TDI engine used in vehicles for the European-market has been checked out to see if it had the illegal software. In a statement issued by Volkswagen, the engine did not have “software constituting an improper defeat device as defined in laws is installed in vehicles with EA288 EU5 as well as EU6
Volkswagen Says One of TDI Engines Doesn't Have the Cheat, and Prices of TDI Models Are Dropping
-
Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller told a German publication that it would launch a recall for diesel vehicles that have emission-cheating software starting in January and hopefully finish up fixing all of the vehicles by the end of the year. "If all goes according to plan, we can start the recall in January. All the cars should be fixed by the end of 2016," Mueller told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Now it should be noted this is only for vehicles in Europe. A Volkswagen of America s
Volkswagen Says A Recall Is Imminent for Affected Diesel Vehicles*
*For Europe
-
Volkswagen was planning to release the preliminary findings of its internal investigation into the diesel emission scandal this month. But now, the company has scrapped those plans. In a statement, the German automaker cites strong objections from their lawyers and “unacceptable risks” to the company. But there might be more this than what Volkswagen is saying. Last week, Volkswagen finally reached a deal with the U.S. Government over the emission mess. By releasing the results, it might pu
Volkswagen revealing the preliminary results of the internal investigation this month; yeah about that...
-
In addition to $14.7 billion settlement reached with the U.S. Government, Volkswagen will pay an additional $86 million in civil penalties to California over the diesel emission scandal. "We must conserve and protect our environment for future generations and deliver swift and certain consequences to those who break the law and pollute our air," said California's Attorney General Kamala Harris in a statement. Harris explained the civil penalties resolved certain claims made by state off
Volkswagen pays up to the state of California
-
Volkswagen is looking towards vans and a possible pickup as way to bolster its U.S. lineup and become something other than a niche player in the marketplace. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen's head of the light commercial vehicle unit, Eckhard Scholz said the company is investigating whether or not to send some of their vans and possibly the Amarok - the only pickup VW builds at the moment - to the U.S. “Pickup trucks are a dominating segment,” while there’s also a trend in the U.S. toward co
Volkswagen Looks Into Vans and a Truck for the U.S.
-
Volkswagen's reputation has been taking a number of big hits due to the cheating software they used in a number of their diesel models to pass EPA regulations. But a new report says the company is planning to regain the trust of some of their owners. The Truth About Cars learned from a source that Volkswagen will be announcing a program that offers owners of affected TDI models (new and used) to recive a prepaid card. Two cards will be available to owners; the first will be a $500 card that
Volkswagen Is Readying A New Program For TDI Owners Involving Gift Cards
-
Volkswagen announced today a new Goodwill Package for owners of the affected 2.0L TDI engine. As we reported over the weekend, the package includes two $500 gift cards - a Visa and Volkswagen Dealer card - along with three-years of roadside assistance. To get your hands on this package is quite the challenge. First you have to visit VWDieselInfo.com and put in your VIN, along with vehicle information. From there, Volkswagen will mail out the cards to you. But you cannot use those cards yet.
Volkswagen Is Offering 2.0L TDI Owners Some Gift Cards to Lessen the Pain
-
Ahead of a November 20th deadline where Volkswagen must submit a plan to EPA about how they are planning to fix the nearly 500,000 vehicles with illegal emission software, Reuters has learned about a meeting between the EPA and officials from Volkswagen. According to sources, Volkswagen's powertrain development chief Friedrich Eichler will meet officials from the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) to talk about the efforts being put forth by Volkswagen to fix the illegal vehicles.
Volkswagen Is Meeting With Officals From the EPA Before A Deadline To Submit A Possible Fix
-
Volkswagen is gearing up expand their Chattanooga, TN plant, and that expansion could add as many as 2,400 jobs. Chattanooga currently builds the North American version of the Volkswagen Passat sedan and the expansion will be to grow capacity to build a new Volkswagen mid-size crossover SUV due in late 2016 as a 2017 model. Part of the expansion will be a new Engineering and Planning center that will bring 200 jobs. The addition to the production facility will add another 1,800 new jobs once
Volkswagen is gearing up to produce a new mid-size SUV in their Chattanooga, TN plant.
- Editor-in-Chief
-
Volkswagen is looking to limit the damage that has been caused by the diesel emission scandal. According to Automotive News, part of this comes from buying some used TDI model on U.S. dealer lots at pre-crisis prices. Speaking with dealers briefed on the plan, Volkswagen will guarantee the value of used models equipped with 2.0 TDI containing the illegal software sitting on dealer lots. If the vehicles aren't sold within 60 days, Volkswagen will buy them back. In a memo from Volkswagen o
Volkswagen Has Plan To Buy Back TDI Models From Dealers
-
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has given Volkswagen a reprieve on the diesel emission scandal. According to Reuters, CARB has extended the deadline to approve or reject Volkswagen's fix for the nearly 500,000 vehicles with the cheating 2.0L TDI to January 14, 2016. The reason for the extension is Volkswagen continued to submit "significant information and data" about the repair effort for the affected models since submitting the proposed fix back on November 20th. VW spokeswoman J
Volkswagen Gets Some Good News From CARB
-
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil suit against Volkswagen today for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by using illegal cheating devices on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. "The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation's clean air laws," said Assistant Attorney General John Cruden. A senior official at the Department of Justice tells Reuters the penalties in the lawsuit could cost the German automaker b
Volkswagen gets hit with A civil suit from the Justice Department
-
When Volkswagen admitted that it used illegal software in their diesel vehicles to cheat emission tests, questions arose as to whether or not any other automakers did something similar. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KPA) decided to investigate this and put 60 vehicles from various manufacturers, including Volkswagen, to the test. Their results revealed that Volkswagen was the only one automaker to cheat. These results will be published in a report later this month, but German
Volkswagen gets another black eye from the German Transport Authority
-
After a meeting of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board today, Porsche CEO Matthias Müller has been named as the CEO of Volkswagen. Rumors of Müller's appointment have been swirling around for the past week. "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation," said Müller in statement. Müller has a difficult task ahead of him as he'll need to right t
Volkswagen Gets A New CEO
-
Towards the end of February, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer gave Volkswagen a deadline. On March 24th, the German automaker would have to give a definitive answer on the status of a fix for nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. At a hearing this week, Breyer has moved the deadline to April 21st. According to Reuters, both the EPA and Volkswagen said at the hearing they are making progress on a reaching an agreement. But there are still a number of issues to work out. A possible issue is whethe
Volkswagen gets a month's extension to work out a deal with the EPA
-
This afternoon, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation to Volkswagen for skirting clean-air rules on some of their TDI models. The EPA says certain Volkswagen and Audi diesel models from 2009 to 2015 model years had special emission control software that could detect when a car is undergoing EPA emissions testing and turns on the full emissions controls. The software would turn off the controls during real-world driving. This allowed Volkswagen not to equip urea i
Volkswagen Finds Itself Trouble With the EPA
-
Just when you think the hole Volkswagen has found itself in can't get any deeper, it has. Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that Volkswagen disclosed to the EPA that 2016 model year TDI models have a different piece of software that would allow them to pass the emissions test. This software makes a pollution-control catalyst heat up faster to improve the performance of a device which cleans up the nitrogen oxide into harmless hydrogen and oxygen. Now fitting a device like this
Volkswagen discloses another software cheat and the CEO believes the company will bounce back in due time
-
The workers Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee have made their decision on union representation. On Friday night, retired Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Sam Payne released the results of the three day vote which saw workers say no to UAW representation by a vote of 712 people opposed to 626 people in favor. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have
Volkswagen Chattanooga's workers make the final decision on union representation.
-
In light of the announcement made by the EPA on Friday about certain Volkswagen vehicles equipped with the diesel engine violating emission standards, the German automaker has been at work on damage control. The Detroit News reported on Saturday that the company had pulled all of their ads and videos promoting the diesel engines on their YouTube page and asked dealers to put a stop-sale on Beetle, Jetta, and Passat models equipped with TDI engines. No word on how many vehicles are affected by th
Volkswagen Begins Controlling the Damage Over the EPA Investigation
-
Volkswagen's emission scandal will not be an easy or quick problem to fix. Along with fixing a number of vehicles, the automaker will be facing a large amount of fines from various governments and possibly payouts from lawsuits. To make sure they have enough money to cover all of this, Volkswagen is reportedly is taking out some short-term loans. Bloomberg has learned from two sources that the German automaker will meet with a number of banks tomorrow to apply for 20 billion euros (about $21
Volkswagen Asks A Number of Banks For Short-Term Loans
-
Volkswagen is making some big changes for the future. In a statement released today, the company announced that it would cut 1 Billion Euros (about $1.1 billion) in investments. The statement didn't say would be part of the cuts. Volkswagen also announced that it would be fitting diesel models sold in Europe and U.S. with SCR and AdBlue technology 'as soon as possible'. Further down in the statement, Volkswagen announced that it would put more of a focus on battery and plug-in powertrain
Volkswagen Announces A Cut In Spending, Turns Focus To Plug-Ins and Electric Vehicles
-
The last thing Volkswagen wants is another issue on its plate. But this week, the UAW has filed an unfair labor practices charge in Tennessee against the automaker. The filing states that Volkswagen declined to negotiate on a contract with the newly formed collective bargaining unit at the Chattanooga, TN plant. Earlier this month, a group of 152 skilled tradesmen voted at the plant voted on whether or not to form a UAW bargaining unit at the plant. With 71 percent votes saying yes, the unit
UAW Isn't Happy That Volkswagen Isn't Coming to the Table
-
Kenneth Feinberg is still hard at work on developing a compensation plan for TDI owners in the U.S. affected by the diesel emission scandal. But in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Feinberg says "there will be a generous solution." Now what that solution will end up being is unknown at this time. Part of the problem is Feinberg has his hands tied as Volkswagen and the EPA/CARB are still working on trying to figure out a fix for the 2.0L TDI engine.
There is a compensation program coming, but when that will be is unknown
-
While Volkswagen and the U.S. Government are finishing negotiating the final agreement over the diesel emission scandal, some interesting bits of the agreement have leaked out. The Associated Press and Bloomberg have learned from sources that Volkswagen will pay $10.2 billion as part of a settlement over the scandal. As part of the settlement, Volkswagen will compensate owners of affected TDI models between $1,000 to $7,000. The payment amount will vary on a number of factors such as the age
The total settlement is said to be around $10.2 billion
-
Volkswagen may have put the Phaeton redesign on the back burner to improve profitability. Bloomberg has learned from sources that the German automaker is looking at ways of lowering the costs of materials and production, despite a new version of the Phaeton is ready to go. The Phaeton was never a big seller for Volkswagen. However, the model seemed to find a foothold in Asian markets - notably China and South Korea - in 2010 and 2011. But the fallout of the Chinese automaker and the age
The Next Volkswagen Phaeton Is Currently On Hold
-
The Volkswagen diesel scandal has prompted the German transport minister to meet with the counterpart in the U.S. According to Reuters, Alexander Dobrindt will be holding talks today with Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation about the scandal. The report goes on to say that Dobrindt hopes to meet with officials from the EPA. That's not all that is taking place in the U.S. for Volkswagen. Another report from Reuters says the company has put plans of overhauling the management an
The German Transport Minister Heads to U.S., and Volkswagen Puts A Hold On U.S. Restructuring Plan
-
Another day, another lawsuit for Volkswagen over the diesel emission scandal. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco against Volkswagen of America for false advertising. The suit says Volkswagen claimed in ads their diesel vehicles were clean, when actually they were polluting more thanks to illegal software. "For years Volkswagen's ads touted the company's 'Clean Diesel' cars even though it now appears Volkswagen rigged the cars with
The FTC is the latest to file a suit against Volkswagen
-
Next Tuesday was the deadline that Volkswagen and the U.S. Government would have to finish their discussions on finalizing an agreement over the 2.0L TDI scandal. But last night, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer has given the two parties an extension to June 28th. Reuters reports that Breyers gave the extension after a request was made by the court appointment mediator, former FBI director Robert S. Mueller. In a written order, Bryer said "given the highly technical nature of the proposed
The final settlement is coming.. but it has been pushed back.
-
Breaking news coming out of Germany today as Volkswagen Chairman and grandson of the company's founder, Ferdinand Piëch announced his resignation after losing a public battle to try an oust Volkswagen's chief executive, Martin Winterkorn. "The members of the Executive Committee have unanimously determined that in view of the background of the last weeks the mutual trust necessary for successful cooperation no longer exists," said Volkswagen's Supervisory Board in a statement today. "For this r
The Drama at Volkswagen Reaches A Climax - Ferdinand Piech Steps Down
-
Last month, we reported that Volkswagen could be cutting the Polo 3-Door and Beetle as a way to save costs. But Autoblog reports that the Beetle will live on. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, member of the board of management responsible for development at Volkswagen said that the Beetle will continue, with a new model coming sometime in the next 3 years. The next-generation Beetle will move to the MQB platform which allows such options as a hybrid and a electric version. Neusser also went onto say th
The death of the Volkswagen Beetle has been greatly exaggerated
-
The emission cheating that went back to 2006 and would land Volkswagen in deep trouble last September was an open secret in the automaker's engine development department. German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung along with regional broadcasters NDR and WDR reported on Friday some of the results of Volkswagen's internal investigation into the diesel cheating scandal. The cheating goes back to 2006 at Volkswagen's engine development department. With strict U.S. emissions standards looming, th
The cheating scandal was an open secret and goes all the way back to 2006
-
A number of Volkswagen engineers have admitted that they manipulated CO2 emission data to meet ambitious goals to meet goals set by former Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) reports that engineers filled tires with more air and mixed diesel with their motor oil to make them use less fuel. This reportedly began after then-CEO Martin Winterkorn's announcement at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show that by 2015, the company would cut CO2 emission levels by
Some Volkswagen Engineers Come Forward and Admit Cheating the System
-
Volkswagen and U.S. regulators have finally agreed to a plan on the diesel emission scandal and possible dates have been set up for fixing the various the vehicles involved. Despite this, some of the diesel vehicles will not be fully compliant with clean air laws. According to Bloomberg, the oldest 2.0L TDI engines found in the last-generation Jetta and Golf, and 2009 Beetle will emit more emissions even with a possible fix. According to the California Air Resources Board, the possible fix w
Some of Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI vehicles will not meet emission regulations even with a fix
-
One of the stumbling blocks for Volkswagen with the diesel emission scandal has been trying to find a fix that the feds would agree to. Previous attempts for the 2.0 and 3.0L TDI have ended with rejection from the California Air Resources Board due to the "submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration." But it seems progress is being made on this. In an interview with R
Some good news concerning a possible fix for the 2.0L TDI
-
There is talk happening at one of Volkswagen's brands of possibly entering the U.S. marketplace. What brand would that be? Skoda, the Czech brand known for building some impressive cars at surprising prices. A spokesman tells Automotive News Europe that the brand is examining potential markets to introduce the brand. "That includes North America," the spokesman said. A decision on which markets will see Skoda entering is not expected anytime soon. Rumblings of Skoda possibly comi
Skoda in America?!
-
Last month, Volkswagen announced that it had reached a $14.7 billion settlement with the U.S. Government over the illegal software used on the 2.0L TDI engine. But before anything could be put into motion, it had to get the go-ahead from U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer. Yesterday at a hearing in San Francisco, Judge Breyer gave his preliminary approval on the settlement. This now means Volkswagen and Audi can start sending out official notices to owners explaining what happens next.
Progress is being made on getting the $14.7 billion settlement on the road
-
A lot has been happening in the past couple of days for Volkswagen over the diesel emission scandal. Let's get you up to date. First, Volkswagen of American has pulled its application for EPA certification on 2016 models equipped with the 2.0L diesel four-cylinder until they comply with emission standards for the U.S. Volkswagen hasn't said when they will resend their application for certification. Next is the Associated Press reporting that German prosecutors carried out searches at a n
Not a Day Volkswagen Would Like To Remember
-
We knew it was coming, it was just a matter of when. In March, Volkswagen will end production of the current Phaeton at the Dresden plant. A pet project of former Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, the Phaeton never gained traction in the luxury flagship market for over a decade. Last year, Volkswagen only built 4,000 Phaetons. Volkswagen will bring back the Phaeton nameplate in 2020 for a fully electric luxury sedan. As for the Dresden plant where the Phaeton is built, it will be renovated to bu
Next March, Volkswagen Will End Production of the Phaeton
-
The sh*t is hitting the fan. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced today that Volkswagen had illegal 'defeat device' software installed on a number of their vehicles equipped with the 3.0L TDI V6 to evade diesel emission testing. The two parties say the software allowed the TDI engine to emit nine times the legally allowable pollution limit. Vehicles involved in this latest allegation include, 2014 Volkswagen Toureg TDI 2015 Porsche
More Volkswagen TDI Models, These Equipped With the 3.0L TDI V6 Are Found To Emit Nine Times More Emissions Than the Legal Limit
-
One of the big questions coming out of the Volkswagen Diesel scandal was whether or not other automakers also manipulated emission tests. The German transport office at the moment doesn't have any evidence that says so. "At this point we have no indication of other manufacturers being involved," a spokesman for the office said at a government news conference today. Not the news Volkswagen wanted to hear as the company is beginning to feel the heat from European countries. France's pros
More Heat Is Applied to Volkswagen In Light of the Diesel Scandal
-
It seems Volkswagen's Supervisory Board is keeping true to their promise holding more people accountable in the company's diesel crisis. Reuters (via Automotive News) and German publication Bild are reporting that three executives will be dismissed. The three are, Michael Horn, Volkswagen U.S. CEO Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's r&d Boss Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche's engine chief Porsche and Volkswagen in Germany declined to comment, while Audi couldn't be reached. A spokeswoman for Volkswag
More Executives from Volkswagen Are Being Shown the Door, While A Possible CEO Replacement Is Being Considered
-
We're getting to the point where it is becoming a bad idea mentioning 'could it get any worse' when talking about Volkswagen and the diesel scandal it finds itself embroiled in. Sooner or later, it will get one step worse. Case in point is Volkswagen admitting on Friday that their 3.0L TDI V6 used on a number of their vehicles does violate emission standards. Earlier in November, the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) accused Volkswagen of using a defeat device in a number of vehi
More Emission Troubles This Week As Volkswagen and Audi Say the 3.0L TDI V6 Does Violate Emission Regulations
-
Just moments ago, Volkswagen announced that CEO and President of Volkswagen of America, Michael Horn has stepped down effective immediately. In a statement released by the company, the departure was reached "through mutual agreement." Hinrich J. Woebcken - recently announced as the head of Volkswagen's North American operations - will act as the interim CEO and President. Volkswagen would like to thank Horn for his contributions to the company during his tenure in the United States. “I w
Michael Horn Departs Volkswagen of America
-
Days after the news came out that Volkswagen had outfitted a number of diesel vehicles with illegal software, the company set aside 6.5 billion Euros (about $7.2 billion) to deal with lawsuits and fines. But Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller says that isn't enough. Speaking to reporters at Volkswagen's HQ, Müller said the 6.5 billion is just for the recall. "I can only speculate about any further provisions. Should there be a change in sales volumes, we would react rapidly," said Müll
Matthias Müller Says the overall cost of the Diesel Scandal Could Be Much Higher.
-
Last month, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) rejected Volkswagen's plan to fix the 2.0L TDI because it was "incomplete, substantially deficient and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles” to compliance. With this setback, many are concerned that it will be awhile before a fix is agreed on by Volkswagen and CARB/EPA. German magazine Manager Magazin reports that top managers at the German automaker believe an agreement between the three parties might
It Might Not Be Till the End of March Before We Might Have A Fix for Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI
-
It has been almost six months since Volkswagen admitted to using illegal software on their diesel vehicles to fool emission tests. Since then, a lot of people have been waiting for a fix to make the vehicles legal. Now a federal judge has given Volkswagen a deadline to come up with a solution. Reuters reports that at hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco has given the German automaker till March 24th to give a definitive answer on the status of a fix. "Si
It has been six months, where is the fix Volkswagen?!
-
During the reign of former Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piëch, the company was arranged in such a way where each of the twelve brands were given autonomy to encourage competition between them. Many believed this arrangement made controlling almost impossible and was slow to react to changes in the marketplace. But with Piëch out the company, there appears to be a change incoming in how the company is structured. German publication Handelsblatt reports that Volkswagen will restructure the de
Instead of 12 Autonomous Companies, Volkswagen Considers Consolidating Them To Just Four Companies
-
If you're wondering when Volkswagen will resume sales of diesel vehicles in the U.S., you're going to have to wait a bit longer. Automotive News has learned that the German automaker hasn't applied for the necessary EPA approvals to start selling diesel vehicles in the U.S. "They need to address our concerns" before sales can resume, an EPA official said. Those concerns most likely relate to Volkswagen coming up with a fix that meets the standards of the EPA and California Air Resources
In not so surprising news, Volkswagen hasn't asked the EPA if they can sell TDI vehicles again
-
After an emergency meeting held today, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation amid allegations that the automaker manipulated their diesel vehicles to meet emissions regulations around the world. "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. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am no
In Light Of the Diesel Emission Scandal, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn Resigns
-
Volkswagen's diesel emission scandal went deeper this week as the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (known as the KBA) announced on Tuesday that the software Volkswagen uses on their diesel vehicles was deemed illegal. This decision opens up the possibility of lawsuits and penalties against the company, but the extent of this is unknown at this time. As the New York Times states 'it was a turbulent day for the company.' Aside from the KBA announcing the software Volkswagen used was de
If you thought the Volkswagen scandal couldn't get any worse, think again.
-
Back in June, we learned that Skoda (a Czech brand under the Volkswagen group) was investigating possibly entering new markets. One of those new markets was North America, a place where 20 percent of global car sales take place. At the time our original report, Skoda hasn't set a timeframe for a decision. Also as we noted, Skoda would need to get more crossovers and SUVs ready if they want to try and make inroads in the U.S. Speaking of SUVs and the U.S., a recent article done by Autocar piq
If Skoda was to launch in the U.S. within the near future, what car would they choose to lead the charge?
-
Volkswagen has found itself in hot water once again over the diesel scandal. In an interview with NPR before the Detroit Auto Show, CEO Matthias Mueller said the company didn't lie to the EPA. The company just misunderstood the law. Here is the exchange After this interview was aired on NPR, Volkswagen asked if it would be possible to do a do-over. NPR agreed and did another interview with Muller. This time, Muller clarified some of his earlier comments, adding this was a problem that
How to stick foot in mouth by Volkswagen's CEO, Matthias Muller
-
Imagine getting into a new vehicle with a payment that could range $39 to $99 per month. Seem like a fantasy? Well that is what a number of Volkswagen dealers across the U.S. are doing. An example is a Volkswagen dealer offering an $89 36 month lease on Jetta, after you hand over $2,500 as a down-payment. It's part of an effort by Volkswagen to bring customers in now at a loss to have hopefully return in three years when the automaker will have a brand new lineup. 2018 will see Volkswagen in
How Desperate Is Volkswagen Getting In the U.S.?
-
It was expected that Volkswagen would begin repairing diesel vehicles with the illegal software in the first few months of 2016. But after the California Air Resources Board rejected Volkswagen's fix this week, the timeframe for when vehicles will be fixed is unknown. On Tuesday, CARB said Volkswagen plan were "incomplete, substantially deficient and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles” to compliance. Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, C
Hoping A Fix For Your Volkswagen Diesel To Happen Soon? It isn't going to happen.
-
As more manufacturers begin to add more technologies (keyless entry, advanced infotainment system, and online connectivity), the danger of having a vehicle hacked increases. We saw this first-hand last year as two security researchers revealed a number of security holes in FCA's UConnect system that allowed them to access critical vehicle functions such as braking and steering. Now a new research paper reveals 100 million Volkswagen Group vehicles going back to 1995 have a serious security issue
Have a 1995 or newer Volkswagen? Your vehicle has a big security flaw.
-
Remember the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid? Most likely not as it made up a sliver of overall Jetta sales - about one percent according to Volkswagen spokesman. For the 2017 model year, the Jetta Hybrid will dropped from the lineup. Some of reason as to why the Jetta Hybrid wasn't a big seller was the high price. According to Automotive News, the Jetta Hybrid only came in the top SEL Premium trim that starts at $31,940. This is slightly hard to ask when the base starts at $18,500. Also, hybrid and
Goodbye Jetta Hybrid
-
German authorities will put Volkswagen's fixes for diesel emissions to the test. German newspaper Die Welt reports that the German Transportation Authority will take Volkswagen vehicles affected by the diesel cheating scandal and perform emission and fuel usage testing once the company begins doing the fixes. Die Welt goes on to say that the test results and raw data will be published in full to guarantee transparency. No word as to when the re-tests would be carried out. Volkswagen say
German Authorities Will Put Volkswagen's Fix To The Test
-
Kenneth Fineberg finds himself helping out another automaker in crisis. Volkswagen announced yesterday they have brought in Fienberg to work on and oversee a new claims program for owners of Volkswagen models involved in the diesel emission scandal. “We are pleased to announce the retention of Kenneth Feinberg. His extensive experience in handling such complex matters will help to guide us as we move forward to make things right with our customers,” said Michael Horn, President and CEO, Volk
From One Automaker to Another, Kenneth Feinberg is Tapped By Volkswagen To Help In Their Diesel Emission Scandal
-
Finally, some good news in terms of the Volkswagen diesel scandal. According to German newspaper Die Welt, Volkswagen has reached a deal with U.S. authorities over its cheating of EPA emission tests. Not much is known about the deal, but sources tell Die Welt that key part of the deal will see Volkswagen paying owners in the U.S. $5,000 in compensation. This deal will be presented tomorrow to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer at a hearing. We'll likely learn more about the agreement and wha
Finally, some possible good news for Volkswagen TDI owners in the U.S.
-
Trying to figure out the logic of Volkswagen concerning the next-generation Phaeton is a very difficult task. The German automaker loses 28,000 euros (about $31,598) on every Phaeton built. Also the automaker has announced a cost-cutting plan that a plan to save 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) annually in the coming years. Yet, Reuters is reporting that Volkswagen is going forward with the next-generation Phaeton due sometime in 2017 or 2018. "Economically speaking, it's the most irrational proj
Everyone Is Wondering Why Volkswagen Is Still Soldering On With the Phaeton
-
A new wrinkle has appeared in the Volkswagen diesel scandal. Last week, Daniel Donovan filed suit against Volkswagen of America for wrongful termination and breaking the Michigan Whistleblowers' Protection Act after reporting that the company continuing deleting data after the EPA said to stop. On September 18, the EPA filed a violation notice against Volkswagen's diesel vehicles. Part of that notice required Volkswagen to not delete any more data. Donovan alleges in the suit that workers at
Did Volkswagen delete data after it was told not to? A new lawsuit alleges this.
-
Volkswagen is facing criminal charges over the diesel emission scandal in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reports that investigators from the U.S. Justice Department have found evidence of criminal wrongdoing. It is unclear what the evidence is. According to sources, federal prosecutors are still trying to figure out what charges should be brought against Volkswagen. Sources go on to say that prosecutors and lawyers from Volkswagen have held preliminary discussions about the case. The two p
Department of Justice readies criminal charges against Volkswagen
-
A possible punishment that the EPA could bring down on Volkswagen is making them build electric vehicles in the U.S. German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports the EPA is asking the German automaker to produce EVs at their Chattanooga, TN plant and to help build out a network of chargers across the U.S. The report doesn't say if EPA is asking for VW to produce a new electric vehicle or a current one - the Golf EV. It should be noted that Welt am Sonntag's report doesn't cite a source. "Tal
Could Volkswagen start building EVs as part of the EPA's punishment for the diesel emission crisis?
-
Volkswagen is getting ready to start the $10 billion compensation program for owners of the 2.0L TDI engine in the U.S. But some folks want the German automaker to do something similar for TDI owners in Europe. "Volkswagen should voluntarily pay European car owners compensation that is comparable with that which they will pay U.S. consumers," said EU Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska last week. In a interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag over the weekend, Volkswagen CEO
Compensation plan for Europe? Uh, no.
-
More bad news for Volkswagen this week. Speaking with German publication Wirtschaftswoche, California Air Resources Board's (CARB) chair Mary Nichols said in their testing, only Volkswagen TDI models were found to have cheating devices. "So far we have found in vehicles of other brands no fraudulent shutdown. This does not mean that all emissions are as we would wish. But there is nothing that comes close to the magnitude of the excess in VW vehicles," Nichols said CARB will continue tes
CARB Says Volkswagen Is the Only One To Have the Cheating Software, and Volkswagen Finally Pulls the Passat TDI from the Production Line.
-
The California Air Resources Board has rejected Volkswagen's plan to fix the 3.0L TDI V6. "VW's and Audi's submissions are incomplete, substantially deficient, and fall far short of meeting the legal requirements to return these vehicles to the claimed certified configuration," CARB wrote in a letter to the German automaker. This comes as a bit of a surprise as last month, Volkswagen's lawyer Robert Giuffra said the company was close to a fix for this engine and it wouldn't affect overal
CARB Rejects Volkswagen's Plan for the 3.0L TDI Fix
-
It came as a shock to many when Volkswagen admitted that it used illegal software to cheat emission tests with their diesel. But there was one group that wasn't surprised, automakers. Kent Falck, a future product specialist at Volvo said a recent event that many automakers were very suspicious of Volkswagen's emission results with their TDI engines. Falck explained that many were puzzled as to how Volkswagen was able to achieve lower emissions despite using the same suppliers as other automa
Automakers figured out that Volkswagen was doing something illegal to meet emission standards
-
In light of new allegations put forth by the EPA on Monday, the American branches of Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen have issued a stop-sale on vehicles equipped with the 3.0L TDI V6. According to Automotive News, this move grounds the sales of not only new TDI models from the Volkswagen group, but also a number of used models equipped with the 3.0L TDI V6. The EPA announced on Monday that it had found a second 'defeat device' on a number of models using the 3.0L TDI V6. Volkswagen has denied
Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen Put A Hold On 3.0L TDI Models Due To New Alligations
-
We know that Volkswagen is in the midst of readying a seven-seat crossover and a long-wheelbase Tiguan as a part of a new product offensive for the U.S., but that may not be the only vehicle in the plans. Automotive News reports that Volkswagen is considering two other vehicles for the U.S. The first is the production version of the Golf R-400 concept. The concept which made its North American debut at the LA Auto Show in November packs 395 horsepower version of the Golf R's turbocharged 2.0L f
Aside from Crossovers, Volkswagen Has Some Other Products In Mind For The U.S.
-
Volkswagen is on a mission to cut costs and that means models will be shown the door. According to a report from German publication Der Spiegel, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said last June he would like to cut 5 billion Euros. Models that are being considered to get the ax include the three-door variant of the Volkswagen Polo. The reason for the cut is that the popularity of three-door hatchbacks has been declining in Europe. A key example of this is rival Renault dropping three-door versio
Are the Volkswagen Beetle and Polo 3-Door coming to a end?
-
Take this story with a fair amount of salt as the outlet who broke this story doesn't say where it got this information. According to a report from German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, U.S. authorities have uncovered three more pieces of illegal software in the 3.0L TDI V6 used on the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, and Porsche Cayenne. The various pieces of software can turn off the emissions control systems after 22 minutes of driving. This would allow a vehicle to pass an emissions test (which
Another possible twist in the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal
-
Volkswagen has said time and time again they didn't know about the emission cheating until sometime in 2015. But a new report calls this into question. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) reported over the weekend that an employee known internally as "Winterkorn's fireman" notified senior managers - including Volkswagen's CEO at the time Martin Winterkorn - about the U.S. possibly probing some of VW's diesel vehicles for high emission levels back in May of 2014. The letter came fr
An uncovered letter casts doubt as to when Volkswagen first knew about the diesel emission problem
-
Another day and more bad news for Volkswagen and their diesel engines. Let's begin with the latest. Automotive News is reporting that about 11 million Volkswagen vehicles equipped with diesel engines worldwide have the illegal software. Also, Volkswagen is planning to set aside 6.5 billion Euros ($7.3 billion) in the third quarter to cover the costs of addressing the issue. Volkswagen says the amount could change as the investigation continues. Also, France, Germany, Italy, and South Kor
An Increase In How Many Diesel Vehicles Have the Faulty Software, More Investigations, Hearing, and Explanation Into How Volkswagen Gamed the System
-
Has it really been a month since Volkswagen and the U.S. Government announced they had reached an agreement over the 2.0L TDI emission scandal? Yes, it has and since then, the two have been hard at work with finalizing the agreement. This week, the two were in Federal Court in San Francisco to give an update. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at the brief hearing that the two parties have been making significant progress. The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we la
Although underneath the surface, there could be some issues
-
Volkswagen finds itself in legal trouble once again as three U.S. states - Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York - have filed separate lawsuits over the diesel emission scandal. The lawsuits allege that the automaker undertook a massive cover-up of the illegal software and was orchestrated by high-level executives - including the former CEO. “The idea that this level of fraud could take place and involve so many people at such high levels of a major international corporation is appalling,” s
Alleges a massive cover-up with help from executives
-
As we reported yesterday, Volkswagen has decided against revealing the preliminary results of their internal investigation as it would bring “unacceptable risks” to the company. It might have been a good idea as a new wrinkle has appeared in the diesel emission scandal. The New York Times has learned from two sources that a top technology executive prepared a PowerPoint presentation showing the automaker could fool the EPA's emission testing. The presentation was only a few pages long and ex
A Presentation floating around Volkswagen back in 2006 talked about how the company could fool EPA emission tests.
-
Reuters is reporting that Volkswagen developed several versions of its "defeat device" software for their diesel models. Three sources tell the news service the company used the different versions of the software on four diesel engine types. If this proves to be true, this could indicate a widespread cheating program at the company, not the rogue engineer claim that executives have been using as a defense. This also puts Volkswagen in a difficult position when it comes to potential fines. If
A New Report Says Volkswagen Has Made Different Versions of the 'Cheating Software'
-
A new report alleges that former Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn knew about the defeat devices two weeks before the official announcement from U.S. regulators. German publication Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) got their hands on a letter sent on September 4, 2015, to Winterkorn from a manager. The letter said, "In the conversation on 03.09.2015 with the regulator CARB (California Air Resources Board), the defeat device was admitted." Volkswagen's U.S. CEO Michael Horn told a House o
A new letter reveals Winterkorn knew about the existence of the defeat devices two weeks before the EPA officially announced it.
-
If you didn't think the diesel scandal at Volkswagen could get any worse, think again. Let's begin with the former CEO at Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn. Reuters is reporting that German prosecutors have opened an investigation into Winterkorn into "allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data" based on ten unidentified individuals filing charges. Now Winterkorn has said that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing on his part in light of this scandal. There is a rep
A Criminal Investigation Is Opened Into the Former VW CEO, While Three r&d Chiefs Are Suspended
-
The big stumbling block for Volkswagen and the EPA/California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been trying to figure out a fix for diesel vehicles with illegal software. Ever since CARB rejected Volkswagen's first proposal back in January, the three have been in negotiations. But now, an official from CARB says some vehicles may only get a partial fix. Speaking at a legislative hearing in California yesterday, chief of the California Air Resources Board enforcement division Todd Sax said it mi
A CARB Offical Says Not All of the Affected Volkswagen TDI Vehicles Will Be Fully Fixed
