More Trouble for Volkswagen

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Volkswagen is facing a new wave of inquiry since the diesel emissions scandal. According to The Economist, "VW confessed that it overstated claims about the carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions and, thus, fuel efficiency of 800,000 cars, including, it seems, some with petrol engines."

The European Commission is asking EU countries to expand their investigation. A spokesperson for the Commission said, "Public trust is at stake. We need all the facts on the table and rigorous enforcement of existing legislation." Since the news about the cheating software, VW's stock lost more than one-third of its value. 

Now that Porsche models have also been implicated, VW's new CEO, Matthias Müller, previously head of the Porsche division, is not looking as good. As The Economist writes, the news "casts a shadow" on his role. 

Communications continue to lag. The U.S. VW site has the same tired video of Michael Horn. 

VW site

Discussion Starters:

  • Did VW do the right thing by admitting the emissions under-reporting? Another strategy would have been to wait for the news to be discovered as part of the diesel software investigation. 
  • What else should VW communicate at this point? Look at the U.S. website and make a few recommendations.