The ‘dieselgate’ emissions scandal continues to make headlines as four former Volkswagen Group managers have been convicted by a German court for their involvement in the scandal. This scandal, which came to light in 2015, revealed that VW had been using illegal software to manipulate diesel engine tests in the United States. The software, known as ‘defeat devices’, made diesel emissions appear cleaner during testing than they actually were.
Among those convicted were Jens Hadler, who led diesel-engine development from 2007 to 2011, and Hanno Jelden, a former top engineer. Hadler received a sentence of four and a half years in prison for the sale of over two million affected vehicles, while Jelden was sentenced to two years and seven months for ‘aggravated fraud’ related to the sale of nearly three million cars. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, a former executive, received a suspended sentence of one year and three months, and another defendant, only identified as ‘Thorsten D’, received a suspended sentence of one year and ten months for cooperating with investigators.
The Braunschweig Regional Court, after a four-year trial, also mentioned that criminal proceedings against a total of 31 defendants were still ongoing. The scandal led to the resignation of VW Group chief executive Martin Winterkorn and tarnished VW’s reputation globally. The ‘defeat device’ software used by Volkswagen Group diesel engines deceived emission standards for nitrogen oxides and CO2 during lab tests in the US and Europe.
Winterkorn resigned as CEO in September 2015, a week after the scandal broke, and Rupert Stadler, Audi CEO, had his contract terminated three years later amidst a criminal investigation into his involvement in emissions cheating.
The repercussions of the ‘dieselgate’ scandal have been extensive, with huge fines and legal costs for Volkswagen. The convictions of these former managers serve as a reminder of the importance of ethical practices and compliance in the automotive industry. The case continues to unfold as investigations into other defendants are still ongoing.
