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The (now resigned) CEO prided himself on being an engineer and in depth knowledge. I don't believe he didn't know how VW was able to market clean diesel engines

by jonknee 11y ago

The (now resigned) CEO prided himself on being an engineer and in depth knowledge. I don't believe he didn't know how VW was able to market clean diesel engines in the US without having a clean diesel emission system for them. His big thing was to be the largest car maker and he needed to juice US sales to get there. He had to have spent a lot of time on US strategy. The shitty part is that he succeeded--they became #1 (this year!) and he has a huge pension to retire on.

johansch 11y ago
http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/en/the_group/senior_management/winterkorn.html http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/en/the_gr... "Winterkorn’s professional career began in 1977 as a specialist assistant in the research division "Process Engineering" at Robert Bosch GmbH. From 1978 to 1981 he headed the refrigerant compressor development group "Substances and Processes" at Robert Bosch GmbH and Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte GmbH. In 1981 Winterkorn joined AUDI AG as assistant to the Member of the Board for Quality Assurance. Two years later, he assumed responsibility for "Measuring Technology/Sampling and Test Laboratory" at Audi. At the beginning of 1988, he was made departmental head of "Central Quality Assurance", and in 1990 Head of Audi Quality Assurance. In 1993 Winterkorn became Head of "Group Quality Assurance" at Volkswagen AG and was appointed General Representative of Volkswagen AG in March 1994." These would be his formative years. It seems he focused on processes and quality rather than actual technology, IMO.
- jessaustin 11y ago
  My impression is that manufacturing technology is still technology, and manufacturing engineers are still engineers.
  - zardo 11y ago
    Absolutely, you don't precisely robotically assemble millions of vehicles without a little engineering and technology getting involved.
- jonknee 11y ago
  So much for quality assurance! He was also known as a micromanger, I just don't see how he didn't somehow figure out that his entire clean diesel strategy was bullshit.
  - johansch 11y ago
    QA, particularly in Germany, is all about processes. Not deep technical understanding. It bores the hell out of any competent engineer.
LoSboccacc 11y ago
fact is the whole report chain is rotten. who wrote the code, who told him so, and indirectly most engineers that had a reasonable knowledge to be in a position of suspecting a foul play. you can't get this running for 6 years without widespread cooperation, or at least willfully turning a blind eye. those engines ran loads of miles on benches before being put into cars, and it's a large group running multiple cross tests on many parameters including fuel consumption and efficiency and operating temperature, which should give anyone within the sector a good rough idea of how an engine performs emission wise.

by jonknee 11y ago

johansch 11y ago

http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/en/the_group/senior_management/winterkorn.html http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/content/en/the_gr... "Winterkorn’s professional career began in 1977 as a specialist assistant in the research division "Process Engineering" at Robert Bosch GmbH. From 1978 to 1981 he headed the refrigerant compressor development group "Substances and Processes" at Robert Bosch GmbH and Bosch-Siemens-Hausgeräte GmbH. In 1981 Winterkorn joined AUDI AG as assistant to the Member of the Board for Quality Assurance. Two years later, he assumed responsibility for "Measuring Technology/Sampling and Test Laboratory" at Audi. At the beginning of 1988, he was made departmental head of "Central Quality Assurance", and in 1990 Head of Audi Quality Assurance. In 1993 Winterkorn became Head of "Group Quality Assurance" at Volkswagen AG and was appointed General Representative of Volkswagen AG in March 1994." These would be his formative years. It seems he focused on processes and quality rather than actual technology, IMO.

jessaustin 11y ago
My impression is that manufacturing technology is still technology, and manufacturing engineers are still engineers.
- zardo 11y ago
  Absolutely, you don't precisely robotically assemble millions of vehicles without a little engineering and technology getting involved.
jonknee 11y ago
So much for quality assurance! He was also known as a micromanger, I just don't see how he didn't somehow figure out that his entire clean diesel strategy was bullshit.
- johansch 11y ago
  QA, particularly in Germany, is all about processes. Not deep technical understanding. It bores the hell out of any competent engineer.

LoSboccacc 11y ago

fact is the whole report chain is rotten. who wrote the code, who told him so, and indirectly most engineers that had a reasonable knowledge to be in a position of suspecting a foul play. you can't get this running for 6 years without widespread cooperation, or at least willfully turning a blind eye. those engines ran loads of miles on benches before being put into cars, and it's a large group running multiple cross tests on many parameters including fuel consumption and efficiency and operating temperature, which should give anyone within the sector a good rough idea of how an engine performs emission wise.