Some Volkswagen Engineers Come Forward and Admit Cheating the System
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 30 percent. Engineers at the time were afraid to tell the CEO that this goal was impossible and decided to cheat.
"Employees have indicated in an internal investigation that there were irregularities in ascertaining fuel consumption data. How this happened is subject to ongoing proceedings," a Volkswagen spokesman told Reuters.
This report comes to light as Volkswagen announced last week that 800,000 vehicles in Europe - mostly diesel - were underreported for fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Source: Bild am Sonntag via Reuters, New York Times
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