The history of the Volkswagen emissions scandal | In tune with the times
One of the juicier corporate humiliations that came out in the mid-2010s, the story of the Volkswagen emissions scandal is one of deception, negligence, greed, and punishment. The company used high-tech software to circumvent environmental regulations.
The consequences of this mistake damaged the company’s reputation, possibly beyond the complete redevelopment.
The discovery
In September 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that many Volkswagen (VW) cars in America contained a “shutdown device”. Essentially, VW installed this software so that the cars could cheat the emissions tests. The software monitored engine operation, speed, steering wheel position, and air pressure to see when it was being tested.
Then, during testing, it mistakenly lowered the vehicle’s emissions to gain EPA approval. VW admitted that this cheat was involved in over 10 million cars around the world. It would cost the company billions and lead to one of the biggest recalls of all time.
Why?
VW boss Hans Dieter announced on December 10, 2015 that the company had cheated on the emissions tests because …
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