VW's Winterkorn Told of Defeat Device Probe in 2014, Bild Says
- Ex-Volkswagen CEO declined to comment to German newspaper
- Minister says those responsible must be made accountable
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Former Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn was notified as early as May of 2014 that U.S. authorities would probably inspect the company’s cars for an emissions-test defeat device, according to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
A VW employee wrote to Winterkorn to say that the carmaker couldn’t provide an explanation for elevated nitrogen oxide emissions and that the authorities would probably look for a test-recognition function in motor-steering software, the German newspaper reported, citing a company document. Bild didn’t identify the employee.