VW’s initial response on the Notice of Violation
Just like any other company that wants to protect its image and reputation, Volkswagen initially asked for a year to observe and validate the tests arguing that the result may be been a result of technical glitches. The company only took responsibility of the issue when it was faced with verified evidence regarding the installation of defeat device on its vehicles. The formal acknowledgment of the issue was made by Volkswagen executives on September 3 in a conference call where the issue was discussed. Mr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen was one of the leaders of the company who assumed responsibility. Initially, he resisted the requests of many for him to vacate his position but on September 23, 2015, Mr. Winterkorn officially resigned his position. Michael Horn of Volkswagen Group of America was more straightforward, saying that the company has been dishonest with the government and regulators. The company soon announced that there were at least 11 million VW cars that were part of the false emission reports, and it estimated that more than $7 billion dollars may be needed just to address the problem.
BERLIN, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 22: Used cars of German carmaker Volkswagen stand on display at a Volkswagen car dealership on September 22, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn apologized yesterday to consumers following allegations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the company had installed software into its diesel cars sold in the USA that manipulated emissions test results. Volkswagen share prices have plummeted by approximately 32% on the Frankfurt stock exchange since yesterday and the company faces a recall of at least 470,000 cars and up to USD 18 billion in fines. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)