Volkswagen chief in US apologizes for scandal
January 11, 2016
On his first official visit to the US following the emission test scandal, Volkswagen chief Matthias Müller took the first steps to repair the damage from the fallout.
"We know we deeply disappointed our customers, the responsible government bodies, and the general public here in America," said Müller at a media reception on the eve of the Detroit auto show.
"I apologize for what went wrong at Volkswagen," he added, and promised that the auto giant was "fully committed to making things right."
At the reception, Müller also announced that Volkswagen plans to make a new midsize SUV and would thus invest $900 million in the United States.
He noted that the investment at VW's Chattanooga plant will create approximately 2,000 jobs.
Volkswagen had admitted that it installed software in roughly 11 million diesel cars of its VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda brands worldwide that helped them evade emissions standards.
The software, also known as "defeat devices," turns on pollution controls when the car is undergoing testing, and off when it is back on the road, thus allowing it to spew out harmful levels of nitrogen oxide.
The scandal has damaged Volkswagen's reputation, and a number of investigations have begun in several countries around the world.
VW has not disclosed Müller's schedule while he is in the US, but the US Environmental Protection Agency has said he is scheduled to meet with its administrator Gina McCarthy on Wednesday.
av/bw (AFP, dpa)