BERLIN (Reuters) — Audi appointed a new chairman and a new development chief as Volkswagen’s flagship luxury division struggles to recover from an emissions scandal.
Audi admitted two weeks ago that its 3.0 liter V-6 diesel engine was fitted with emissions-control software, an illegal practice in the United States where the scandal has already engulfed its corporate parent VW and the mass-market VW brand.
Audi’s supervisory board on Thursday appointed VW’s new CEO, Matthias Mueller, as chairman, replacing long-time VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, who vacated the post in November in the wake of the scandal that also forced him out as VW group CEO.
The board also tapped Stephan Knirsch, head of engine development at Audi, to succeed Ulrich Hackenberg, the top engineer at Audi and the VW group. Hackenberg was suspended two months ago together with two other executives closely associated with the development of the VW engine at the center of the scandal, codenamed EA 189.
“The investigation is making progress,” Audi deputy chairman Berthold Huber said. “That is a necessary and good sign.”
U.S. law firm Jones Day, which has been leading external investigations of the scandal at Wolfsburg-based VW, has been tasked to clear up the manipulations at Audi, the works council said in a statement.
The V-6 diesel engine was designed and assembled by Audi at its Neckarsulm factory in Germany, and used in about 85,000 premium models sold by the VW, Audi and Porsche brands in model years 2009-16.
The admission from Audi, which contributes about 40 percent to VW group profit, has raised the pressure on CEO Rupert Stadler, a 25-year VW group veteran who has led the Ingolstadt-based automaker for nine years.
After being questioned by the Audi board on Thursday, Stadler will also need to convince VW’s 20-member controlling panel at a meeting on Dec. 9 to discuss the state of investigations. VW plans to publish intermediate results of its probe into the scandal next week.
“We pushed for action in the interest of workers and that’s exactly what’s happening now,” Audi labor boss Peter Mosch, a member of the supervisory board said. “Further consequences need to be drawn now to ensure that this won’t happen again.”Volkswagen’s suspended top engineer, Ulrich Hackenberg, has left the German group after 30 years, luxury-car division Audi said on Thursday, as VW pushes ahead with the search for culprits in its diesel emissions scandal.
We might be approaching a lot of heads coming off.
I’m not advocating a war with England and its ties and contracts with all the nations with Kings they boldly call the “United Kingdom” which is certainly not a club we can join. (nearly all Kingdoms are united, it’s an ancient “proud and noble” way of life as they see it.)
Thing is, the BBC World is the most sane world I can read about and participate in. Though it’s vicariously, and by lying about where my Internet Protocol address is so the Queen’s Computer thinks I’m one of her explicit sovereign subjects. Wherever possible, I prefer British to New World Epsilon Minus British American.
Anyway, look at this or don’t. I’m sure Hannity or Top Gear or something more amusing is there for you, if Eric’s Flying Circus and his idea for you to pay $5 a month to march up and down the square with him and his merry men doesn’t appeal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS5D9csaySU
When Queen Elizabeth took King Abdullah for a drive in her Land Rover
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/driving-king-anecdote-goes-viral/
And women eat this royal shit up. Just like they do their christian, muslim, jewish, hindu, or whatever else fur-lined gilded shackles they’ve gone so accustomed to all these centuries.
There’s a lot of brass tacks behind Trumps gilded brashness. UK petition to ban US presidential candidate from Britain reaches 100,000 as Middle East rallies against him
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12040805/Donald-Trump-petition-UK-Muslims-ban-live.html
Arguably there’s a world media royalty that ranks higher than Queen Vickie and the rest of those old biddies.
King Trump. Queen Kardashian. That’s sexy. Bold. That’s a glittery Camelot with billions of proven viewers and couch riding subjects already.
And ascending Trump to the Secular States Throne might put an end to much of this handwringing feeble monarchism, which is especially damaging to mouth breathing Amoricons, who don’t understand why the Queen of England and King of Saud are not his best buddies, in a one world happy family at the United Nations Wild Kingdom.
Trump can build a bigger and better Cricket Soccer and whatever else Commonwealth Games and Appartuses that includes actually commonly wealthy people at the helm. Ones that made money this century, and not merely oppressed people on the bases of title and position since before anyone can even remember differently.
Jones Day – One Firm Worldwide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVSS-TOoXvQ
In 2011, Jones Day established an associate relationship with Alsulaim Alawaji & Partners in Saudi Arabia with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Alkhobar. Lawyers + Fatwas = Profit. – Allahu Akbar.
All because there’s smog in the LA basin.
Excellent point Eric, all this s–t flows downhill from the California Air Resources Board and ends up making life difficult for everyone no matter where you live.