Volkswagen emissions scandal: A timeline

Summary

Volkswagen, once the world's top automaker, fell to second place due to a massive scandal. The company was caught using software to cheat on emissions tests, affecting 11 million vehicles worldwide. Despite initial denials, VW eventually admitted to rigging cars, leading to global recalls, legal battles, and resignations, including the CEO. The scandal cost VW billions in fines and compensation, severely damaging its reputation. The company continues to face civil and criminal investigations as it attempts to recover from the fallout.

Takeaways

• 🚗 Volkswagen was once the world's top automaker but fell to number two due to the emissions scandal.
• 🔍 West Virginia University scientists discovered that Volkswagen used software to cheat on clean air tests, making emissions appear up to 40 times higher than legal limits.
• 🇺🇸 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Volkswagen manipulated diesel cars to perform better on emissions tests.
• 🔄 Volkswagen admitted to rigging half a million cars in the U.S. and later acknowledged the issue affected 11 million vehicles globally.
• 🚫 Amid the scandal, Volkswagen halted the sale of diesel cars in the U.S.
• 🤝 CEO Martin Winterkorn apologized and resigned, replaced by Matthias Muller.
• 📉 Volkswagen faced lawsuits from customers whose vehicles lost value due to the software scandal.
• 🏢 German police raided Volkswagen's headquarters in search of incriminated documents as part of the investigation.
• 🔄 Plans were announced to recall 8.5 million affected cars in Europe, with fixes expected by the end of 2016.
• 💰 Volkswagen set aside about $18 billion to deal with the costs of the scandal, including compensation for customers and vehicle buybacks or fixes.
• 📉 The company lost its title of world's top automaker to Toyota.
• 📈 Volkswagen agreed to pay up to $14.7 billion to settle the issue, a record amount for an automaker for wrongdoing.

Q & A

What was the primary reason for Volkswagen's fall from being the world's top automaker?

Volkswagen fell to the second position due to the revelation that it had rigged 11 million vehicles worldwide to cheat on emissions tests.

Which group of scientists initially discovered Volkswagen's use of software to cheat on emissions tests?

A group of scientists at West Virginia University discovered that Volkswagen was using software in its diesel cars to cheat on clean air tests.

How did the software used by Volkswagen manipulate the emissions tests?

The software detected when the car was being tested and made the engine run differently, making the emissions seem cleaner than they actually were.

What was the extent of Volkswagen's emissions exceeding legal limits?

The emissions were found to be up to 40 times higher than the legal limits.

What action did the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take after discovering the manipulation?

The US EPA announced that Volkswagen was manipulating its diesel cars to score better on emissions tests.

How many vehicles did Volkswagen initially admit to rigging in the U.S.?

Volkswagen initially admitted to rigging half a million cars in the U.S.

What was the global scale of the affected vehicles due to Volkswagen's emissions scandal?

The problem affected 11 million vehicles worldwide.

Who replaced Martin Winterkorn as the CEO of Volkswagen after his resignation?

Mattias Muller, the head of VW's Porsche brand, replaced Martin Winterkorn as the CEO.

What was the consequence for customers who had Volkswagen diesel cars affected by the software?

Customers faced a loss in the value of their cars, leading to endless lawsuits against Volkswagen.

What was the estimated cost for Volkswagen to deal with the emissions scandal?

Volkswagen set aside about eighteen billion dollars to deal with the cost of the scandal.

What was the final settlement amount Volkswagen agreed to pay to resolve the issue?

Volkswagen agreed to pay up to fourteen point seven billion dollars to settle the issue.