Exhaust gas manipulation: “shit, fully ran” – 10 years of diesel scandal at VW

On the streets of California, three students triggered a wave that opened a little later than Tsunami in Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony: their tests with a VW Jetta in spring 2013 led to the detection of the exhaust gas affair in autumn 2015. “Dieselgate” shocked Europe’s largest carmaker and launched the group. Ten years later, one of the largest scandals in German industrial history has long been out of focus. However, this does not mean that all waves are smoothed.

VW boss Oliver Blume recently spoke of a “cultural shock” caused by self-caused “cultural shock”. In his view, however, the group had drawn from it. Compliance processes were installed, the culture at Volkswagen has changed and the way the group was managed. “We have changed the product strategy,” said Blume with a view to transformation about more electromobility.

“That was the only good thing,” said Helena Wisbert, professor of automotive industry at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences Wolfsburg. In response to the scandal, e-mobility was celebrated and promoted as the turn of the times. “Otherwise, diesel technology would have remained the first technology for much longer,” said Wisbert of the German Press Agency. You can still remember in 2015. “The day was a turning point for VW. After that everything changed”.

On September 18, 2015, the US environmental authority EPA released the “Notice of Violation”, in which VW was accused of bypassing software emission tests for certain air pollutants. Shortly before, VW had granted false test results in the USA. “Shit, fully ran wrong”, is said to have said a VW developer in the days when the catastrophe could no longer be averted in negotiations with the US authorities.

Prison punishment in the USA and Germany

After being known, VW shares lubricated and CEO Martin Winterkorn flew out of office. In the United States, Volkswagen paid more than $ 20 billion in terms of punishment and compensation. In Germany, too, fines were imposed in billions. There are now countless judgments and prison terms were imposed on former VW employees in both the USA and Germany.

It is open whether the trial against winter grain will ever continue. His procedure was interrupted due to health problems and later temporarily discontinued due to inability to negotiate. In the few days of negotiations, “Mr. Volkswagen” had rejected any criminal responsibility. The presumption of innocence applies.

Expert: no cheat, but tough fraud

“With which hybris was believed to get through something like that, it was incredible for me,” said Professor Wisbert. She was surprised that the best engineers in the industry came up with nothing else than manipulated. And Frank Schwope, the automotive industry at the University of Applied Sciences in Mittelstand in Cologne and Hanover, also responds with shaking my head when “cheating” is still spoken of. “This is not a cheat, that was tough,” said the industry expert.

In addition to the damage to the image and the loss of trust, the scandal hit the group financially. Volkswagen specifies its own costs for the processing of the manipulation affair with around 33 billion euros. “It was a fairly expensive wake-up call for electromobility,” said Schwope, looking at the fact that VW was fully on the electrical course after the diesel bacle.

Study sees e-mobility in a good way

A new study by the organization ICCT certifies that the entire European auto industry is on the right track to more electromobility ten years after the exhaust gas scandal was discovered. The International Environmental Research Association had published an analysis of striking measurements of exhaust gas values ​​in the USA in spring 2014 – there was no question of fraud. Together with US environmental authorities, the “International Council on Clean Transportation” contributed to the fact that the VW diesel affair in 2015 was flew.

Since then, the European auto industry has changed profoundly. In order to regain trust and reduce emissions, the car manufacturers promised to rely on electrification, said Peter Mock, Managing Director of ICCT Berlin. The reference to several manufacturers makes sense because, according to VW, many other German and foreign producers focused on similar processes.

There were accusations, searches, recalls and other carmakers had to retrofit vehicles. An investigation committee of the Bundestag dealt with the role of the authorities. The EU Commission called for stricter exhaust gas tests and more supervision. Environmental associations have been lying on driving bans in cities for years.

“Brazen Handling” and Salami tactics

Nevertheless, according to Professor Wisbert, it also has reasons why Volkswagen is primarily connected to the diesel scandal. “The initial brazen handling of the allegations of exhaust gas manipulation at VW burned down into the memory,” said Wisbert. The group did not react appropriately at the time and pursued a salami tactic. According to the automobile expert, other manufacturers were able to adapt their communication strategy afterwards and learned from the errors at VW.

Above all, Volkswagen himself contributed to the fact that the huge scandal wave was slowly dilapping and did not spill over too much to competitors.