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It was not German engineering, but pure and simple fraud. “Vorsprung durch Technik”, the former motto of Audi, has faded. The verdicts against former high-ranking managers at Audi – including the former boss Rupert Stadler – now prove in black and white the misconduct of the management at that time.
Because their noble vehicles could only comply with the prescribed emission values in the laboratory, but not on the road, Audi helped with unfair tricks. Audi was not an isolated case. Other brands of the Volkswagen Group such as VW and Porsche as well as the competitors BMW and Mercedes have handled it in the same way.
At Audi, it wasn’t individual, subordinate engineers who committed injustice, it was top management who at least didn’t stop unlawful action.
Thanks to persistent law enforcement
The suspects have maintained their innocence for years. Ultimately, however, it is thanks to the stubborn law enforcement authorities and the perseverance of the private plaintiffs in the USA and Germany that the injustice is being punished and some of those responsible are being held accountable.
However, the diesel scandal is far from over with the recent verdict. Further proceedings against former top managers are pending in Germany. Tens of thousands of claims for damages are still pending.
Defense fight cost over 30 billion euros
The legal defense also cost the car companies and the accused a lot of money and time. At VW alone, spending in connection with the diesel scandal now totals well over 30 billion euros. At the same time, the legal dispute absorbed the corporations in their core business: they defended a technology from the past and missed out on technical progress.
Parallel to the diesel scandal, which started rolling in 2015, electromobility picked up speed. The car companies have long ignored this development and smiled at the up-and-coming newcomer Tesla. It was only in the aftermath of the diesel scandal that new managers initiated the about-face. But the German car companies have still not caught up with the Californian climbers.
Matthew Heim
business editor
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Matthias Heim studied economic history. He has been working for Radio SRF since 2007 and has been a business editor since 2016. His areas of specialization are aviation, tourism, transport, retail and energy.