VW's Former CEO Is In Court On Dieselgate-Related Charges

by Chris Teague

Published: September 6th, 2024

vw s former ceo is in court on dieselgate related charges

Dieselgate was a huge blemish on VW’s public image, and the fallout continues today, nine years after the story broke. Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn recently appeared in court on fraud charges related to Dieselgate, and the now-77-year-old faces fines and other penalties if he’s found guilty.

Charges against Winterkorn include false testimony before a parliamentary committee, fraud, and market manipulation. Officials also say he did not inform capital markets in a reasonable amount of time about the automaker’s diesel engine lies. He appeared in court earlier this year as a witness in an investor’s lawsuit.

Winterkorn was pushed out of VW in 2015 and said that he had involvement in the defeat devices used to fool emissions testing devices. His lawyer said, “Our client did not defraud or harm anyone, he did not deliberately leave the capital market in the dark so that investors would be harmed, and he told the investigating committee the truth.”

Volkswagen spent billions buying back vehicles and paying fines related to Dieselgate. The company bought back almost a half-million vehicles in North America, and European lawsuits are still going on today as owners seek compensation similar to that of American owners. Things are somewhat bumpy in VW’s business operations, too, as it recently said it was considering shuttering two German factories, its first such action since the company began.

[Images: Volkswagen]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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4 of 23 comments

Merc190 on Sep 06, 2024
Regulators that over regulate think they are so clever, well these guys out clevered them. It's a shame they lack the power and numbers to overthrow those who profit from these frivolous regulations.

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- Wolfwagen on Sep 09, 2024
  Absolutely correct. Had the University of WV not done independent testing, the Feds would have never known, and VW would still be making diesel engines with defeat devices. This will not be the end of Cheating the system. Somebody, somewhere will come up with a way.
  
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- SCE to AUX on Sep 09, 2024
  NOx and particulate regulation is not frivolous, and the health risks of these pollutants are well-known. VW (and others) cheated simply to show better mpgs and power numbers, and to reduce the DEF requirements on the consumer. In other words, they cheated for profits, not because they couldn't meet the requirements. And exactly who has profited from such regulations?
  
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HomeSweetHome on Sep 09, 2024
TTAC Admins question. Can we block another poster so we can't see their idiocy?

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