this is a tale with a variety of truths for every episode, including a meeting in november, 2006. that said to be the genesis of the emissions fraud. it was the 1st of 3 key situations in which v w staff had the choice of voicing in favor or against the deception. the engineers made a presentation for the then head of engine development, showing how the e, a 189 could pass the straight to u. s. emissions tests. the software developers provided a detailed description of the cheat feature, assuming their bus would then ban its deployment. they claim one of them would lay to testify. i was clear about our plan. i was expecting the boss to throw us out. except he didn't feel bow handy his we need this function to assist the launch for the 1st 6 months and we'll de install it as soon as possible. and vida will carry on working to

improve a missional slideshow for we'll get it done and it will be gone again inside 6 months is i still off. the engine chief says to day that his staff failed to make it clear that it was a cheap device and that he gave no approval for the test detection. after the meeting, one of those present sent an e mail to to colleagues. what i understood was if we are to use test detection, then in a way that we don't get caught the meeting is now considered the beginning of a gigantic fraud. at the time it was perhaps seen as just a bit of industry standard. fiddling. that's why latasha does her dish fraud is or leashed, and that's not what i had in mind for 1st because it was standard practice to have functions like that. so 2nd, because nitrogen oxide was not really an issue back then lavonne to well thought is

a part to she sat was basically a green light and the list there was no real feeling of wrong doing like it was seen more like j walk hours or even a lot of people do it even if it's not allowed up. those want lots of trees and that was the sent him out to the symphony. when done and what a claim, they'd never seen it as fraud. who could we have a different opinion as our investigations progressed long? please look at this at our findings. the results on the evidence that we've gathered him tell a very different story for her. the function originally envisaged is a 6 months jumpstart, became a permanent fixture. over 10 years, it was fitted in 11000000 cars, sold all over the world, january 2007, a few weeks after the engineers meeting with the engine development head, voice gang hats. martin ventercore was promoted to the position of ceo morgan

under his management v. w would enjoy a record breaking success. he had an engineering background himself and was known for his attention to detail. oh, he was, we were partially. what is the city does leave a closure on field, the here a little child, the lawyer in fossa. this is alison elderly wife who is this is for 500 north, didn't miss much more than me though. while he was going through the v. w. diesel engine had yet to hit the market. even with the cheat software on board, it was not ready for mass production with progress impeded by clogged particulate filters and test car breakdowns. the new head of engine development needed a lot more money for the e. a $189.00, which required the approval of vin to cohen to find his oscar. it was a design sutton aloft plus the biggest development cost hike ever at v w of iga

game at. at the end of 2007, the engine chief talked to vincent cohen, who had seemingly been previously unaware of the problems besetting the diesel engine project. does not go herself? yes, go so happy. winter condos. as i told vince con, they'll get, the bigger fiasco would have been seeing the cars break down on mass in the u. s. due to faulty particular filters, dissing of a but simply protecting the filters via software could mean big trouble with the authorities. the hood of mrs. pling does have him gazette. i told him, i remember very clearly. and he said to me to mir and no one 0, the engine chief insists he was talking about problems, but likewise knew nothing about any fraud. vince icons, memories of the conversation appear limited to the cost increase with no

recollection of any details. not long after approving the multi 1000000 euro project funding, he presented his company's showcase diesel engine. you're charging our competitors. i re blend to so i $100000.00 forks logs a year in the us by the year was automated. the lead video that i saw a strong side of our commitment to the clean diesel engine was finally launched in the us in 2008, one manipulated muddle was even crowned green car if the year at the 2009 los angeles auto show the engine was a resounding success. even if there was still serious problems. car off to car in the u. s. ended up needing repairs because of the cheat software.

on longer journeys, it just seems a car was on the test rig. the system switched to low emissions, but the filters became clogged. the engineers solution optimized the software zip. now it could even detect whether some mom was at the wheel when now in the year 2012. this vague huffman, even the next mistake, was the decision to add the steering angle factor. ian does it? and for me that's also the tragic bit us the so a bit like the goes, it's called by curtis sorcerer's apprentice. of course it was, which is why the entire hierarchy was again urged to make that decision happens if you'd like, but ultimately the decision was taken. thus mothers homes. senior managers had again decided in favor of manipulating their diesel powered cars. again,

a major strategic decision, and again, nobody challenged it. meanwhile, the circle of those in the know continued to grow this is martin ventercore at the time. did he know what was going on in his company? there's no documented evidence to the affirmative. the ceo was busy celebrating one triumph after the next with v w increasing profit almost tenfold under his leadership. martin ventercore was by now gemini, standouts, chief executive. he rubbed shoulders with world leaders, his annual salary, 17000000 euros, and v w was set for further success. but in 2014 developments to can you turn you to the work of another group of engineers. researches here at the university of west virginia began using a different testing method. they measured emissions from cars while actually out on

the road instead of in the lab. and to their surprise, the v. w engines, nitrogen oxide levels were up to 35 times higher than permitted we saw a vastly different performance between the test. so and the, and the on the highway than them. we knew that there, you know, the vehicles must be exhibiting some different behavior. while scientists and inspectors were baffled, nobody yet was thinking fraud. they informed v w. we fully anticipated the derby voluntary recall. things had been fixed and we heard nothing more about the virginia study was commissioned by the international council, unclean transportation or i. c. c, t. the developers at v w h q involved spoke new. it contained all the pieces of the puzzle to expose their machinations. an engineer remembers the increasing anxiety.

we knew we were busted. we had 500000 vehicles in the u. s. and in the worst case scenario would have to buy them back. the results was a growing tower of one lie after the next life with a high price, as is now clear from internal b. w reports punish or attend the india as the city stood. yeah, i'm unable to say who was aware of the i c c t study in full detail back then. i was organ does do what i can say is that the main reason for the us authorities punishing us so harshly. was us not telling the truth after that? need to bite caserta move may 2014 martin ventercore in his 1st told about the study. ah, the close confidant spent got vice,

wrote him a note that landed in the brief case vin to colon would take home every weekend. no dust sta in a meeting else on the counter. that was the weekend mail, as reported in the media. it's an important point because it enables us to assert that from this moment on up to mr. ventercore, knew that the vehicles in the u. s. are at a defeat device device. i english don't cotton so named because it's designed to defeat tests bent, got vice, remembered the gist of the note, didn't text her devonne and i consulted oliver schmidt about the wording of the weekend mail defeat. it even included defeat device. everyone knew what we meant. we would have, has it, i was assured that there was no logical explanation for the nitrogen oxide deviations we have our, i knew we had to take action missile, not because we cheated, but because it was dangerous. and our lack of an explanation that is cassandra,

on their connect leone had been 0 at ross and yvonne and post, as this was in the weekend mail. i was preparing for feedback about i didn't hear anything, not from ventercore either or didn't accomplished that reference was a red alert. while not actually referring to test detection. got vice did warn ventercore that american inspectors could look for it. the exact wording, it's likely that the authorities will then search the v w systems for evidence of test detection being fitted in the engine control software. a defeat device. but did vince colon even read that reference in his weekend mail? did he understand what its contents might entail for the company? he would later effectively say that he hadn't read the alarming notes. all he could

remember was having been informed of the study this same account, ventercore would repeat later on the records as a parliamentary committee of inquiry in berlin. according to his version of events, nobody mentioned manipulation or cheating. what i wanted to know was whether it was a genuine problem. i was told, no, it's a technical issue. i cannot understand why i was not clearly informed earlier about the problems in the us. of course i asked myself to whether i missed or misinterpreted particular signals. only at the very end he says, did he realised that the issue was an illegal defeat device? as i'm output term form does a long social stout, merely because i found his appearance before the committee of inquiry,

frankly appalling. his own on zillow. martin ventercore presented himself as someone who understood the engineering day and new v. w vehicles to a t portal theatre. ye this and there he is at the committee pretending had never heard of emissions control system as he was station looking on the vascular within tickle and says he was oblivious to anything untoward. for almost 10 years, he knew nothing about the defeat device and nothing about the growing risks for v. w. is that plausible? embodied type. he was a stickler for detail. although he was a boss for many decades as easily, you're in charge of technical issues that cannot have detailed comprehension of everything due to the sheer scale. because you can't understand every single detail, no way. look, the sister in man, this is a man with a wide range of different interest child would. and he had his people everywhere in the company. the fun didn't go, i reckon also knew what was involved in what was into corn as

a very clever man in my eyes to see a show and one interested in details. tides intimacy yet i really would be surprised if he hadn't noticed any things in all those 10 years. he could click tut ah, exactly what he did. no back then remains unclear. but he evidently, and massively underestimated the scope of the problems. vince collins wald, revolves above all around the customer and their satisfaction, fuel economy, safety and driving enjoyment. all evidently more important than emissions was got a concern. guns claudie didn't. the company's approach was quite clearly customer satisfaction has top priority. wooden animals with customers being satisfied with their car was vital for vin to corn. and the spirit of into corn as it were, was at the core of company culture. up you missions are not customer relevant as long as the car isn't pumping out dirty. rancid fumes fucks wagon was not alone in

its willingness to outsmart the inspectors. once the v w emissions scandal hit the headlines, other carmakers were also investigated, resulting in fines' claims for financial damages and recalls in germany as well as the u. s. among the new suspects, mercedes benz b, w subsidiaries, audi and portia. but also chrysler, theat and auto parts supplier bosh for 2000 fulton gaps, la gazette, cable g of prior to 2015. there was legislation that was evidently not enforced, that it had cross and obvious loopholes. these exit and this legislation was simply not enforced across the board foot. volkswagen came clean. the others didn't like. so this one sided focused on folks bargain isn't fair either. good for the la d spits v w was the tip of the iceberg. the thought was the most brazen offenders.

it's all entirely, but you need to remember that v w was far from the only company involved and the name bar, as it turned out, it was not as is often reported a v w scandal. and it was a scandal where the car industry in general, used illegal method me to circumvent environmental regulations. gang bonds. in 2017 oliver kyesha was deputy chairman of the parliamentary inquiry into the emissions scandal. he says that germany is road transferred agencies checks when either strict nor independence. the agency has rejected the claim as absurd. that krisha insists he's right. at the outcast handouts, i said i'd lisha. that's the all the emissions scandal shows very clearly how the car industry is able to dictate stipulations or bottom velocity fart saga by hand. that the point was not really monitoring vehicle emissions on the road and aligned

the home. dust so focused was solely on ensuring that the official tenets appeared to pass. and it was designated quite blatantly as industry oriented testers into ski now. poor besides unit for 2015, following the suspicious emissions readings in the i c. c, t study, the u. s. authorities were unreal and saying in their perceived, why are your diesel so dirty? how do you explain this? the v w engineers continued to equivocate, while keeping quiet about the defeat device. ah, our plan was to stall for time. ah, when questioned, we were not to say a word about the technical background. an internal email in march 2015 said words to the effect of b. w is on thin ice in the u. s. and further,

if i say what i know fell, the red face is all round. but i thought that was now obvious that the people also in the u. s. had no idea what to do any more and were at a complete loss for tried to shop, was free, it was an awful atmosphere. god should i. we realized that they were sweating. the fan were at their wits end, missouri listen. eventually v w faced an ultimatum from the u. s. so sorties, either you provide an explanation or we won't certify your new cause. with disaster looming, vw held one crisis meeting off to the next vin to con himself, faced damning testimony. from his confidant band got vice linda caught up jungle food when vinto called me, i told him that we'd been chatting. thus that the cause had

a device that could differentiate between test bench and road. crossel decided then to coin would lay to challenge that accounts. well confirming the cool had taken place, he denied he'd been given such a warning not long after that phone call. a 3rd and crucial decision was made on july 27th, 2015. the v w had courses involved spoke was the scene of a product failure analysis meeting at which martin ventercore and finally sat down with the engine designers for the 1st time, reportedly on the agenda. what were they to do about the u. s. diesel engines? what about the authorities? as for the rest of the meeting, one story with various narratives. oliver schmidt was among those present it as a milady flock of us. what i didn't chavez tish pullin. what it was discussed at

the meeting was to have as often listened us offline and was admitted, do you believe my version, where the board said, we had to clarify this with authorities on what o s. coffee, do you believe us prosecutors and my claim b, w management ordered a blanket smokescreen to the authorities to the, to the, to van the 3rd version of fun related by executives to the parliamentary committee, to tea at 4 that the board said nothing at all. socials was auto w. okay, scott, ah, evidently there was a presentation which apparently referred to as a half a 1000000 vehicles being affected on the american market. and the prospect have drastic penalties for v. w. topple anaconda, its own volume. and in fact, somebody apparently did a calculation and just multiplied the maximum penalty by the number of cars written down on a slip of paper. and that was discussed at the meeting. yeah, yes. winter coons account of events is

a very different one. according to him, the meeting was not about any legal defeat device or potential fines, or indeed whether they were to tell the truth to the authorities. minutes from the meeting however, reveal talk of only a partial disclosure of information to the v w. inspectors did not subsequently claim that vin to con was lying, but they did accuse him of negligence and a failure to take action a leash. oh, tom, i advised, they said he did not properly pursue illicit software functions in the to later t d. i. after july, the 25th 2015 on a dime that he failed to ensure that the inquiries from the american authorities were answered completely. and truthfully on told what

the man tasked was talking to the u. s. so sorry, t swiss oliver schmidt, his job to get v w out of trouble. at the same time, there may have been the prospect of using the opportunity to give his career a boost to what they chose me because of my contacts with the u. s. authorities, there was a list of instructions, a script telling me what to say and what 2 men and i was not to say the words defeat device on my, on doing one. in august 2015. schmidt flew to the us where he told some of the truth, but not all regardless, the american investigators refused to relent. the show was over. a v w engineer was tired of lying and admitted to the scam. it was now a matter of not if but when the disaster would happen. but v w executives was still confident that things wouldn't turn out so bad. ventercore would lay to say that the engineers confession was likewise news to him. he made

a high profile appearance that germany's biggest car show it would be his last day care. not even francois little of spotlighting would come of the pistol isn't always lago forks, fog light in drive. elsie, 2 days later, the american environmental agency went public with the scandal. the global headlines now made clear the gravity of the situation, m. r. soon on september 18th, it was on the evening news, and that was when i knew, oh, this is bats as of as well as to shim as each to folks wanted to come in. when i arrived at volkswagen, my impression was more that they had massively underestimated the consequences of what had been done. funding natal massey fontas. it's like being seriously drunk

and doing 250 kilometers per hour on the highway and expecting to get a smaller fine munched off like for a parking ticket. if i could park volkswagen is being told to recall. nearly half a 1000000 vehicles were emissions software they did what this is a difficult master challenge for volkswagen. i suspect very crisis mode data roseborough doesn't apply to hinder calling the shore lucel's offset liam. the 2nd, this is jordan. i was often tish, was no goodly sh gone spine village via leon goes off there. take that cost of who has the biggest blame the engineer who did the programming to know like his superior yes. as, as to who knew but didn't stop him. yes. have bigger boss. yeah. who knew but didn't do anything either on so vita, the, to the job guns feet, as he, of course, a lot of them pledged ignorance and said, no,

i never heard about any acoustic function, acoustic fun tool, vises, any kind of, it must have been hundreds of people on this let then maybe for 10 saying it was me . i was the fires in being just leaving fella. are you ready to go to halter put alicia albert from 600000 mention, look at an article document. the social class was shocking. flucker that you're thinking, what are you talking about? women done and as an engineer, you thank you to, to the entire development of an engine plus x number of suppliers and what have you, invest that dawning if you add it all up and look at the total number of b, w employee side. if of is this just handful of engineers? no, no. v w insisted that 100 people constituted a tiny group compared to a workforce of 600000. and that the company had taken appropriate action to resolve

the affair. yahoo, i'm a lawyer disco sewell's. crew to wine and i have your local, we now have a different culture that uses of openness and addressing mistakes swung the diesel affair, will always be part of volkswagens history. and there's no way around that canal of your like many of my colleagues, i've always acknowledged that this was the biggest case of corporate fraud in post war, german history and arch lunch or not and creek. ah . as 2021 dawned, v w was eager to put the scandal to bed. before the trials got underway and lounged like the company had already made its own verdicts, dismissing engineers without notice, while others continue to work for the call maker. v w said martin vinto khan was guilty only of negligence. and that after the crucial meeting should have been honest with the american authorities. but the call maker did then sue him for

damages while of into cons. executive insurance covered the majority, he was left to pay 11200000 euros out of his own pocket. a lot of money, but less than an average. he is pe oliver schmidt was among those who attended the emergency meeting. he was the man assigned to talking to the u. s. l. sororities, but did not tell the whole truth costing him 3 years in jail. he emerged a free man, but one who had since been sacked by v w. bestbuy. for almost 20 years, my life revolved around the company and the factory. it feels weird coming back here as well. ah aah! schmidt went to court to challenge his dismissal. but has yet to reach a settlement. there is no progress now. why not? no interest from the other party to v w refuses to comment on individual cases.

the pounds strike, prosecutors have charged 20 plus v w employees for the 70 or so is still under investigation. the diesel emissions scandal is a story with no witness. where some have lost almost everything and others little mm ah ah, they're important to the economy is huge. oh, but getting hold of them is often a dirty business. critical commodities make us mo bile. make our

smartphones smart. how can today's global hunger for lithium cobalt and more the satisfied made in germany in 30 minutes on d. w. o. nico germany, to marry german hello pinnacle. why not learn with him online on your mobile and free the c w e learning course, nico speak? with frankfort, a whole lot international gateway to the best connection, self road and radio, located in the out of europe. you are connected to the whole world experience

outstanding shopping and dining offers and try our services. be our guest at frankfurt air, bought cd managed by frappe waterloo. ah ah, this is dw news live from berlin, cobra cases hit new records across europe. france reports one of the world's highest one day tallies since the started the pandemic. this as countries from europe to was really a face of a sudden surge of the underground varied also coming up.