• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Iran just crossed Trump's red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight

2

Indeed chief economist: Aging Baby Boomers are America's real labor problem, not AI

3

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

1

Iran just crossed Trump's red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight

2

Indeed chief economist: Aging Baby Boomers are America's real labor problem, not AI

3

U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war

Volkswagen Shares Plummet After New Emissions Bombshell

By
Geoffrey Smith
Geoffrey Smith
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Geoffrey Smith
Geoffrey Smith
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 4, 2015, 4:18 AM ET
Lower Saxony Governor Weil Visits Volkswagen Factory
WOLFSBURG, GERMANY - OCTOBER 21: New Volkswagen Group Chairman Matthias Mueller speaks to the media with Volkswagen Work Council head Bernd Osterloh and Lower Saxony Governor Stephan Weil (both not pictured) while standing at the assembly line of the Volkswagen factory on October 21, 2015 in Wolfsburg, Germany. The three toured the plant and met with workers as Volkswagen continues to struggle through the wake of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. The company installed software that cheats during emissions test into 11 million of its diesel cars sold worldwide. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)Photograph by Sean Gallup — Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Shares in scandal-plagued German automaker Volkswagen AG (VLKAY) are in freefall Wednesday after the company dropped a new bombshell over its vehicles’ emissions levels.

The group’s preferred shares have fallen over 10% in early trading in Frankfurt to their lowest level in over five years VW admitted late Tuesday that it had found “irregularities” in how it presented the fuel consumption data of various models during their certification.

In a move that highlights the company’s growing credibility problem, the stock market has wiped over 5.5 billion euros off its market capitalisation for a problem that VW estimates will cost it €2 billion.

VW shares now fallen by over a third since the emissions scandal first broke in September. According to its statement,

Under the ongoing review of all processes and workflows in connection with diesel engines it was established that the CO2 levels and thus the fuel consumption figures for some models were set too low during the CO2 certification process. The majority of the vehicles concerned have diesel engines.

In layman’s terms, that means that VW’s claims about some cars’ fuel efficiency were as bogus as those about the nitrous oxides emission levels of its diesel engines. The company said around 800,000 cars across the group were affected. And as the last sentence of the text above implies, the problem affects cars with gasoline engines as well as diesel ones. Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt told parliament Wednesday that 98,000 of the 800,000 affected vehicles ran on gasoline.

“In testing for CO2 emissions, measures were taken by VW to manipulate the data on fuel consumption lower,” Dobrindt said.

On a per-car basis, the new issue looks to be much more expensive to fix (as it won’t be just a case of tweaking some software). The company puts “the economic risks” at 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion). That compares to the €6.7 billion it set aside to fix 11 million diesel vehicles in September. In addition to the need to fix the engines involved, the company also faces a new liability versus the tax authorities: Germany’s vehicle tax is graded according to CO2 emissions, which means that the affected cars have been treated too generously so far. Dobrindt said he would make sure that any any extra tax liabilities, which will be calculated retroactively, will be presented to VW rather than drivers.

One melancholy consolation for the Wolfsburg-based group is that it has at least made this new disclosure itself, rather than being forced into it by the regulators.

“From the very start I have pushed hard for the relentless and comprehensive clarification of events,” said CEO Matthias Müller. “This is a painful process, but it is our only alternative.”

Müller’s own role in the diesel scandal is now in the spotlight in the wake of accusations by the Environmental Protection Agency that Porsche, the unit that he headed until his promotion last month, had also installed ‘defeat devices’ to mask actual emissions levels from cars it sold in the U.S.. VW rejects that claim, but has temporarily withdrawn the diesel version of the Porsche Cayenne from sale in the U.S..

The company’s board in a separate statement said it is “deeply concerned by the discovery” and would meet “in the very near future” on what further steps to take.

The emissions scandal is starting to show signs of hitting the group’s sales. Reuters reported Tuesday that VW was the only brand of Germany’s top carmakers to post lower sales in a growing German market in October, citing figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). New registrations of the VW brand fell 0.7 percent while BMW, Opel and Mercedes all reported higher deliveries in a market that was up 1 percent to 278,000 cars.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s comments.

About the Author
By Geoffrey Smith
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

How United’s ‘premiumization’ strategy got passengers to swallow higher airfares without a fight
HealthAirline industry
How United’s ‘premiumization’ strategy got passengers to swallow higher airfares without a fight
By Phil WahbaJuly 19, 2026
1 hour ago
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun on stage siting on a couch
SuccessCareers
Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
By Preston ForeJuly 19, 2026
1 hour ago
t
Personal FinanceMarkets
Nvidia and Apple get a cut of every baby’s $1,000 Trump Account
By Jay L. Zagorsky and The ConversationJuly 19, 2026
1 hour ago
Iran just crossed Trump’s red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight
Middle EastIran
Iran just crossed Trump’s red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
9 hours ago
Due to cyclospora risk, Taylor Farms expands recall of lettuce sourced from central Mexico and now includes products shipped to 27 states
HealthFood and drink
Due to cyclospora risk, Taylor Farms expands recall of lettuce sourced from central Mexico and now includes products shipped to 27 states
By Savannah Peters and The Associated PressJuly 18, 2026
9 hours ago
U.S. military launches new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran for attack on Jordan that killed American troops
Middle EastIran
U.S. military launches new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran for attack on Jordan that killed American troops
By Jon Gambrell, Toqa Ezzidin, Konstantin Toropin and The Associated PressJuly 18, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Iran just crossed Trump's red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight
Middle East
Iran just crossed Trump's red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
9 hours ago
Indeed chief economist: Aging Baby Boomers are America's real labor problem, not AI
Commentary
Indeed chief economist: Aging Baby Boomers are America's real labor problem, not AI
By Svenja GudellJuly 18, 2026
23 hours ago
U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
Economy
U.S. companies have finally gotten $71 billion in tariff refunds, but they’re using it to offset inflation caused by the Iran war
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 17, 2026
2 days ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
4 days ago
Kevin O’Leary claimed opposition to his Utah data center was fueled by Chinese money. Now he and Fox News are being sued for defamation
Law
Kevin O’Leary claimed opposition to his Utah data center was fueled by Chinese money. Now he and Fox News are being sued for defamation
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 17, 2026
2 days ago
Peter Thiel just gave the public its closest look yet at his 'Antichrist' theory—and it's a tech and climate regulator
Politics
Peter Thiel just gave the public its closest look yet at his 'Antichrist' theory—and it's a tech and climate regulator
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 18, 2026
21 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.