4 former Volkswagen managers convicted in ‘dieselgate' fraud
May 26 (UPI) -- A German court convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud on Monday and a decade after "Dieselgate" exposed deceptive devices installed in many Volkswagen models to pass emissions tests.
Jens Hadler was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and formerly was Volkswagen's diesel engine development chief, the New York Times reported.
Hanno Jelden, a former VW engine electronics manager, received a sentence of two years and seven months in prison.
Defendants Heinz-Jakob Neusser, a former systems development manager, and a former emissions expert identified as "Thorsten D.," received suspended sentences of 15 months and 22 months in prison, respectively.
A judicial panel in Braunschweig, Germany, entered its verdicts in the court that is located close to Volkswagen's headquarters in nearby Wolfsburg.
Panel chairman Judge Christian Schutz called the defendants a "gang" and said they were guilty of "particularly serious" fraud, the New York Times reported.
He said Hadler knew of the emissions-testing defeat devices that manipulated software to ensure the vehicles would pass emissions tests since at least September 2007.
Only a relatively small number of people within Volkswagen knew of the device's existence, according to emails used as evidence in the case.
The trial lasted almost four years in the "dieselgate" emissions scandal that was exposed when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 reported many diesel-powered VW models contained deceptive emissions-monitoring devices, Politico reported.
The "defeat devices" detected when system emissions testing was underway and automatically adjusted engine performance to ensure the respective vehicles met environmental standards.
Berlin's Federal Court of Justice in 2020 ordered Volkswagen to pay up to $31,000 to each of about 60,000 German owners of diesel-powered VWs.
The automaker paid billions of dollars in settlements for installing defeat devices on about 10 million vehicles sold in the U.S., Germany and other markets around the globe.
Legal cases remain open against 31 other defendants, but former VW Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn is not among them due to health concerns, MarketWatch reported.
Winterkorn has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Officials unveil $100 billion investment to transform how nation gets its power: 'Bombshell'
Germany recently approved a landmark €100 billion ($107 billion) investment package to supercharge its transition to clean energy, and it's being called a "green bombshell," according to Forbes. The plan will pour funding into renewable energy infrastructure, grid modernization, and other projects aimed at reducing the country's pollution. This will not only create jobs and strengthen innovation but also position Germany as a global clean tech leader. This comes as Germany's clean energy milestones stack up. In 2023, renewables made up nearly 52% of the country's electricity consumption, and solar capacity soared past 100 gigawatts at the start of 2024. But rapid growth has exposed challenges — specifically, outdated infrastructure. "We've scaled renewables at an impressive pace, but the grid hasn't caught up," said Jan Lozek, founder and managing partner at Future Energy Ventures, a German climate-focused venture capital firm, to Forbes. The solution will be smarter, more decentralized systems. "We need to roll out smart meters, decentralised controls, and energy storage solutions that let us manage this new ecosystem in real-time," Lozek explained. "Local optimisation will be key — not just pouring more power into the grid, but using it where it's produced." The green transition is opening up huge investment opportunities in the U.S. and around the world. Clean energy and sustainability-focused businesses have consistently outperformed traditional dirty energy stocks over the long term, and Germany's plan mirrors a growing understanding that building a cleaner economy isn't just good for the planet; it's also financially smart. Despite setbacks here and there, the momentum has never been stronger, backed by solid market logic. Similar moves are gaining steam elsewhere, such as massive solar farm projects in the U.S. and renewable energy investments in the European Union. Globally, investment in clean energy now outpaces fossil fuels, such as gas and coal, 2-to-1, with total energy investment surpassing $3 trillion in 2024. For everyday people looking to put their money on a greener future, GreenPortfolio is a free tool that makes climate-forward investing easier. While planning your strategy to support the green transition can be tricky, GreenPortfolio connects you with remote financial advisors who offer guidance on building portfolios and choosing sustainable banks, investments, and credit cards. As for Germany's plans, Lozek is optimistic. "Decarbonizing heavy industry and transitioning to a circular economy — these are massive opportunities. We need scalable solutions that can make a dent in global emissions," he said. "This is not just about hitting climate targets — it's about reshaping the entire energy landscape," he added. Do you think America could ever go zero-waste? Never Not anytime soon Maybe in some states Definitely Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Vehlo's Dealerlogix Becomes Newest Certified Provider for Volkswagen's eConnect Program
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dealerlogix, a leading all-in-one fixed operations software suite for automotive dealership service departments, today announced its approval as a certified provider in Volkswagen's eConnect Program. Dealerlogix is driven by Vehlo, which also owns Text2Drive, Rapid Recon, Service Lane eAdvisor and Velocity Automotive Solutions in their Dealership Software Division. An all-in-one solution for dealership fixed operations, Dealerlogix provides retention text communications through its own best-in-class Text2Drive product, online service scheduling, service valet, service lane check-in, electronic multipoint inspections with video and pictures, mobile payments with fraud protection, bilateral DMS communications, and more. 'Dealerlogix has a reputation for working both independently without DMS integrations and seamlessly with DMS companies to provide a clean and easy customer and dealership experience, for vehicle maintenance, repairs, and payment,' said David Stalzer, Vice President of OEM Strategy & Partner Growth for Vehlo, parent company of Dealerlogix. 'We are truly honored to partner with another premier OEM like Volkswagen, and to help more VW dealerships offer easy repair and payment experiences that create lifelong customers.' To achieve certification in VW's eConnect Program, Dealerlogix passed a rigorous evaluation that ensures critical features and seamless integrations are available to VW dealerships to provide an effortless experience for online appointment scheduling, valet pickup & drop-off, repair order write-ups, digital multipoint inspections with e-Approvals, texting and mobile bill pay—all from the comfort of a customer's mobile phone. 'Our proven platform meets Volkswagen's high standards," said Euwart Anderson, the Executive Vice President for Vehlo. 'And the best part is that Dealerlogix creates transparency to help the customer feel they are an important piece in their repair process. When communication is clear, a customer's trust is gained.' About Dealerlogix Dealerlogix is a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for fixed operations departments of franchised automotive dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. The true all-in-one dealership software enables dealers to streamline service lane efficiency and improve customer satisfaction scores, retention, and profits. Dealerlogix's robust, customizable, and easy-to-use suite of products eliminates the need for multiple tech tools and optimizes the dealership service experience. Accessible from any device, Dealerlogix features scheduling, service write-up, multi-point inspection, video walkaround, tire tool, parts identifier, video ASR, e-signature, digital billing and payments, mobile checkout, text communication, Service Valet, and integrates seamlessly with many third-party tools. The combination of a thoughtful user interface and targeted process automation provides a unified experience for service advisors, technicians, parts personnel, billing, management and BDCs. To learn more, visit
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why Now Is an Excellent Time to Buy Rivian Stock
Rivian's sales have stagnated over the last year or so, and so has its stock price. It isn't easy to see, but the company has been busy making big improvements under the hood. The next Rivian model, due in about a year, looks likely to give sales a significant boost. 10 stocks we like better than Rivian Automotive › Shares of electric-vehicle maker Rivian (NASDAQ: RIVN) have been up and down in 2025. That's a pattern that might make some investors cautious. But when we take a longer view, I think there's a terrific investing story here, even though recent sales trends haven't looked encouraging. A quick take on Rivian might be, "Eh, the company's sales seem stuck at around 50,000 a year, and that isn't enough to be profitable. In fact, its deliveries were actually down slightly in 2024 versus 2023. Without growth, this thing is doomed." That take would be missing something very important: Rivian's sales stand an excellent chance of growing dramatically soon, thanks to an important new model that's currently under development. That's the R2, the long-awaited lower-cost Rivian. Expected to start around $45,000, Rivian's plan for the R2 is to bring its great range, thoughtful features, and off-road prowess to market in a slightly smaller package -- and, crucially, a package that's significantly less expensive to manufacture. Rivian has been hard at work on the R2, of course. At the same time, while sales of its existing R1-series models and commercial vans haven't been growing much, Rivian has been very busy making them less expensive to produce while simultaneously making them better vehicles. Rivian said last month that its cost of goods sold per vehicle dropped by more than $22,600 in the first quarter from a year earlier, even as it rolled out new features. Rivian also said last month that the R2's development is on schedule, by the way. That's a bigger deal than you might think. Developing a new vehicle and preparing to manufacture it at scale is a years-long, hugely expensive process. For a company like Rivian to be on track at this still-early stage of its existence is a testament to the adept leadership of CEO RJ Scaringe and his management team -- and that's always a bullish indicator. Rivian isn't profitable yet, but it wasn't expected to be profitable by now. It's still using cash -- $188 million in the first quarter, along with $338 million in capex -- but it has had positive gross profit for the last two quarters, thanks to those falling costs. Last month it confirmed it still expects to have a modest positive gross profit for the full year, despite the impacts of tariffs and policy changes. Meanwhile, it has plenty of cash on hand, $7.2 billion as of the end of March, and more coming very soon. As part of the $5.8 billion joint-venture deal it signed with Volkswagen (OTC: VWAGY) last year, Rivian is expecting an incremental $1 billion investment by the end of June. That should be more than enough, Rivian has said, to get R2 production up to speed and to launch an additional model line, the even-smaller R3 series, likely in early 2027. By then, the company should have meaningful positive free cash flow. It's also worth noting that Rivian plans to sell the R2 in Europe, a big potential source of additional demand that should help insulate it from any EV policy changes that might be forthcoming in the United States. I've always liked Rivian as a company, and at recent prices it's easy to recommend as an investment. Having spoken with Scaringe and other Rivian executives several times over the years, I feel that this is a confident, well-run company that walks its positive, environmentally responsible talk -- and it's on track to become nicely profitable within a few years. Before you buy stock in Rivian Automotive, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Rivian Automotive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 173% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 John Rosevear has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Volkswagen Ag. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Now Is an Excellent Time to Buy Rivian Stock was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
