VW boss apologises in US for manipulating emissions
Detroit - New Volkswagen boss Matthias Mueller apologized late Sunday in Detroit for the carmaker's emissions cheating, in his first visit to the United States since taking the helm of the embattled German company.
"We know we deeply disappointed our customers, the responsible government bodies, and the general public here in the US. I apologise for what went wrong at Volkswagen," Mueller said.
VW is "totally committed to making things right," he said, vowing to win back consumer trust, on the eve of Monday's press opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Mueller, whose predecessor was sacked following the company's admission in September of the emissions cheating, is scheduled to meet Wednesday in Washington with US Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy.
Regulators could announce Thursday whether they will accept the company's proposed solution - as yet publicly undisclosed - to fix emissions in a planned recall of more than 500,000 VW diesel vehicles in the United States. VW's first proposal in November was rejected.
German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported earlier Sunday that VW has developed a new catalytic converter meant to reduce emissions to meet US air-quality standards.
On its "clean" diesel models, the company installed so-called defeat devices, which recognize laboratory conditions and switch engine functions to lower smog-causing nitrogen emissions. The cheating software allowed VW to claim better fuel efficiency and power while still meeting strict US emissions standards.
Worldwide, up to 11 million cars may be affected.
- DPA
