German prosecutors raid Volkswagen offices

[IDemo]

Source: Reuters

German prosecutors raided Volkswagen's headquarters and other offices on Thursday as part of their investigation into the carmaker's rigging of diesel emissions tests.

Prosecutors from Braunschweig, close to the German company's home town of Wolfsburg, said they were targeting documents and data storage devices that might help with their inquiries.

Volkswagen said it was supporting the investigation and had handed over a "comprehensive" range of documents.

Almost three weeks after it confessed publicly to rigging U.S. emissions tests, Europe's largest carmaker is under huge pressure to identify those responsible, fix affected vehicles and clarify exactly how and where the cheating happened.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/08/us-volkswagen-emissions-idUSKCN0S217M20151008

[bluedigger]

1. Almost three weeks later?

VW better be better at hiding evidence than they are at hiding emissions.

[uawchild]

4. ikr

I bet they are trying to be! Are there IT forensic "cleaners" that handle this sort of problem for corporations? Making electronic "trails" go away?

[Blue_Tires]

5. What's the point in hiding evidence

when they have already admitted full culpability??

[uawchild]

6. hmmm...

I would think that they might want to shift blame a little and try to mitigate the personal exposure of the top executives perhaps.
Let's see how open and transparent they actually act though.

[bluedigger]

7. They have accepted corporate responsibility.

Individuals still have to worry about criminal liability.

[DFW]

2. "Fix affected vehicles"

Right, they should be able to accomplish THAT one in, oh, maybe ten years. Plus, I'm sure those responsible are just waiting in their offices in Wolfsburg waiting to be arrested.

They had a big documentary on that last night on German TV, and they were asking Diesel drivers if they would spring for the extra €900 to €1100 it would cost to bring diesel engines up to the environmental standards that the faked test data aspired to. Some said yes, some said no. Those who drove more expensive diesel models said sure, they'd spring for the extra €1000 to keep the advantages, but those who drive cheaper models said they'd switch to gasoline cars, especially those who didn't drive a lot.

[snooper2]

9. Down the road the people who don't get their car fixed will have more value

You'll see two TDI cars with similar mileage on autotrader-

One ad will say-
Has the VW recall completed!

The other will say-
Never took it for recall, has increased horsepower and gas mileage still!


Guess which one will be worth more on the open market

[DFW]

10. I must be out of it. Autotrader?

I'm guessing that is a website........

[snooper2]

11. Well, it's been on the magazine rack in every gas station for many decades

yes, website now as well-

You can even get the classic autotrader for cars over 30 years old!

[DFW]

12. Figures.

I live in Germany, and never looked at car mags either here, or in the States when I was living there.

I use mostly public transportation when I can here. European drivers are SCARY.

[jtuck004]

3. I wonder what kind of cars they drove to those offices? n/t

[Adsos Letter]

8. Those cows are long gone from the barn. n/t