autoevolution
 

German Investigators Search For Volkswagen's Deleted Data

German media is reporting that investigators that are focusing on the Volkswagen corporation are searching for the files that were allegedly deleted before the official confirmation of the company’s cheating scheme.
2.0-liter TDI engine in Volkswagen 1 photo
Photo: Volkswagen
These are files that Volkswagen employees removed from their computers before the automaker admitted to cheating by using a “defeat device.

The reported deletion of records had come one week before the corporation admitted its unfair practice to U.S. authorities.

Moreover, the entire situation only came into public attention months later, when an employee of the IT department that tried to stop the process was fired and came forward with the information.

As Automotive News reports, prosecutors in Braunschweig are investigating the matter. However, the investigators did not officially confirm the search, but their actions came to public attention after the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper published a report from unnamed insiders.

The report claims that some of the data that was removed from company computers was transferred onto data sticks, and some of these USB drives were handed back once investigators requested them. While a massive data loss is not expected, the problem was sufficient to delay or hinder the investigation of the Dieselgate situation.

Volkswagen is a long way from the end of its cheating scandal, as the company still has to fix all of the affected cars. Furthermore, the German corporation will have to respond to its actions in several lawsuits.

In the case of some vehicles, like those sold in the United States of America with 2.0-liter TDI engines, Volkswagen has already agreed to buy them back from customers if requested, while the rest of the affected clients will receive a fix that will bring the engines back to legal parameters.

The Dieselgate situation has led to a more strict watch on diesel engines and vehicle emissions, as both government agencies and regulators have introduced tests to discover if other automakers have employed similar schemes in emission tests.

Mitsubishi, a Japanese automaker, was caught manipulating fuel economy results by its partners at Nissan, and quickly admitted to the charges. Suzuki has also recognized to have used a cheating scheme, but far less severe than Volkswagen’s.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories