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Ever since Martin Winterkorn resigned from his post as Volkswagen Group CEO due to diesel emission scandal sixteen months ago, he has been out of the spotlight. However, Winterkorn made his first public appearance today at a parliamentary committee in Berlin investigating the emission irregularities of automobiles. At the hearing, Winterkorn maintained his innocence, saying he had no part in the cheating, nor knew anything about it. “It’s incomprehensible why I wasn’t informed early and clearly. I would have prevented any type of deception or misleading of authorities,” said Winterkorn. Winterkorn declined to answer questions dealing with when he was informed about the scandal, saying prosecutors are still investigating. The defense that Winterkorn is using (not having any knowledge about the scandal until the news broke) is very much at odds with his reputation of being a detail-obsessed executive. “It remains difficult to believe that such a dedicated engineer like Winterkorn wasn’t aware what was going on. And if he wasn’t, he neglected his duties as supervisor,” said Stefan Bratzel, an auto industry researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany to Bloomberg. There is also a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that shows Winterkorn knew about this. A year before the scandal broke, Winterkorn was alleged to get a memo talking about the investigation into the EA128 2.0L TDI engine. He claims that he never saw that memo. There is also the allegation that Winterkorn sat in a meeting discussing the investigation. Before leaving the hearing, Winterkorn apologized once again. “What happened makes people furious -- me too. I’m deeply upset that we disappointed millions of our customers,” said Winterkorn. Source: Bloomberg -
Ever since Martin Winterkorn resigned from his post as Volkswagen Group CEO due to diesel emission scandal sixteen months ago, he has been out of the spotlight. However, Winterkorn made his first public appearance today at a parliamentary committee in Berlin investigating the emission irregularities of automobiles. At the hearing, Winterkorn maintained his innocence, saying he had no part in the cheating, nor knew anything about it. “It’s incomprehensible why I wasn’t informed early and clearly. I would have prevented any type of deception or misleading of authorities,” said Winterkorn. Winterkorn declined to answer questions dealing with when he was informed about the scandal, saying prosecutors are still investigating. The defense that Winterkorn is using (not having any knowledge about the scandal until the news broke) is very much at odds with his reputation of being a detail-obsessed executive. “It remains difficult to believe that such a dedicated engineer like Winterkorn wasn’t aware what was going on. And if he wasn’t, he neglected his duties as supervisor,” said Stefan Bratzel, an auto industry researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany to Bloomberg. There is also a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that shows Winterkorn knew about this. A year before the scandal broke, Winterkorn was alleged to get a memo talking about the investigation into the EA128 2.0L TDI engine. He claims that he never saw that memo. There is also the allegation that Winterkorn sat in a meeting discussing the investigation. Before leaving the hearing, Winterkorn apologized once again. “What happened makes people furious -- me too. I’m deeply upset that we disappointed millions of our customers,” said Winterkorn. Source: Bloomberg View full article
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Suspended GM Enginner Talks With Congressional Investigators
William Maley posted an article in General Motors
Ray DeGiorgio, the General Motors engineer who was called out during the GM ignition switch hearing and subsequently suspended, spoke with congressional investigators earlier this month. The New York Times reports that DeGiorgio talked with investigators for ten hours on May 19th about his involvement in the ignition switch recall. As you might recall, DeGiorgio was the engineer who signed off on a change to the ignition switch in certain GM vehicles. However during testimony in a wrongful death suit, DeGiorgio claimed he didn't remember authorizing any change to the ignition switch. During his questioning with investigators, DeGiorgio appeared “genuinely upset” according to a house aide. “He came across as if he was just overburdened and just missed it,” said the aide. DeGiorgio said that he forgot that he signed off on the change for the ignition switch because it was a part of of a package of changes, and that seven years had passed from the time he signed off to testifying. DeGiorgio also didn't give any information that indicated that GM CEO Mary Barra knew about this problem before she took on her new role earlier this year. Source: New York Times William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
Ray DeGiorgio, the General Motors engineer who was called out during the GM ignition switch hearing and subsequently suspended, spoke with congressional investigators earlier this month. The New York Times reports that DeGiorgio talked with investigators for ten hours on May 19th about his involvement in the ignition switch recall. As you might recall, DeGiorgio was the engineer who signed off on a change to the ignition switch in certain GM vehicles. However during testimony in a wrongful death suit, DeGiorgio claimed he didn't remember authorizing any change to the ignition switch. During his questioning with investigators, DeGiorgio appeared “genuinely upset” according to a house aide. “He came across as if he was just overburdened and just missed it,” said the aide. DeGiorgio said that he forgot that he signed off on the change for the ignition switch because it was a part of of a package of changes, and that seven years had passed from the time he signed off to testifying. DeGiorgio also didn't give any information that indicated that GM CEO Mary Barra knew about this problem before she took on her new role earlier this year. Source: New York Times William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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The US House Energy and Commerce Committee announced late this week that they have scheduled a hearing on the General Motors Ignition Switch recall on April 1st. Testifying in the hearing will be GM CEO Mary Barra and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head David Friedman. The hearing will look into the timing and response of GM and NHTSA over the problem and recall. "We look forward to hearing from both Mary Barra and Administrator Friedman. Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) in a statement. Now the House Energy and Commerce Committee admits that the two people being called to testify didn't know about the problems till they came to their posts. Source: US House Energy and Commerce Committee Press Release is on Page 2 GM CEO Mary Barra and Lead Federal Vehicle Safety Official Expected to Testify April 1 March 20, 2014 WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today announced that General Motors Company CEO Mary Barra will testify at an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. The committee has also invited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator David Friedman to testify on the same day. "We look forward to hearing from both Mary Barra and Administrator Friedman. Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," said full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA). "The problems originated long before Barra and Friedman took the helms of their respective organizations, but their actions and input now, as our investigation proceeds, will be essential to getting answers about what went wrong. We want to know if this tragedy could have been prevented and what can be done to ensure the loss of life due to safety failures like this don't happen again." "I look forward to this hearing so we can find out from GM and NHTSA how this happened and why these dangerous vehicles were not fixed in a timely fashion," said full committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO). Additional hearing details, the Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted. BACKGROUND: The committee has opened a bipartisan investigation into the General Motors Company's (GM) and NHTSA's response to consumer complaints related to stalling, airbag non-deployment, and ignition switch problems. GM announced a recall in February covering over 1.6 million vehicles worldwide to correct the problems, but reports indicate drivers first complained of the safety defects over 10 years ago. The company has stated that the defects may have been linked to 31 frontal crashes and a dozen fatalities. Committee staff has now been briefed by both NHTSA and GM on the recalls, and currently awaits production of the documents and information requested last week. -
The US House Energy and Commerce Committee announced late this week that they have scheduled a hearing on the General Motors Ignition Switch recall on April 1st. Testifying in the hearing will be GM CEO Mary Barra and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head David Friedman. The hearing will look into the timing and response of GM and NHTSA over the problem and recall. "We look forward to hearing from both Mary Barra and Administrator Friedman. Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) in a statement. Now the House Energy and Commerce Committee admits that the two people being called to testify didn't know about the problems till they came to their posts. Source: US House Energy and Commerce Committee Press Release is on Page 2 GM CEO Mary Barra and Lead Federal Vehicle Safety Official Expected to Testify April 1 March 20, 2014 WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders today announced that General Motors Company CEO Mary Barra will testify at an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. The committee has also invited National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator David Friedman to testify on the same day. "We look forward to hearing from both Mary Barra and Administrator Friedman. Their testimony is critical to understanding what the company and NHTSA knew about the safety problems, when they knew it, and what was done about it," said full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA). "The problems originated long before Barra and Friedman took the helms of their respective organizations, but their actions and input now, as our investigation proceeds, will be essential to getting answers about what went wrong. We want to know if this tragedy could have been prevented and what can be done to ensure the loss of life due to safety failures like this don't happen again." "I look forward to this hearing so we can find out from GM and NHTSA how this happened and why these dangerous vehicles were not fixed in a timely fashion," said full committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO). Additional hearing details, the Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted. BACKGROUND: The committee has opened a bipartisan investigation into the General Motors Company's (GM) and NHTSA's response to consumer complaints related to stalling, airbag non-deployment, and ignition switch problems. GM announced a recall in February covering over 1.6 million vehicles worldwide to correct the problems, but reports indicate drivers first complained of the safety defects over 10 years ago. The company has stated that the defects may have been linked to 31 frontal crashes and a dozen fatalities. Committee staff has now been briefed by both NHTSA and GM on the recalls, and currently awaits production of the documents and information requested last week. View full article
