Volkswagen AG's board of directors will fire several executives as the Germany company wades through the largest scandal in its 78-year history.
DETROIT, MI - Volkswagen AG's board of directors will fire several executives as the Germany company wades through the largest scandal in its 78-year history.
Sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters that Volkswagen's top executive in the U.S., Michael Horn, is among those to be fired.
Joining Horn are Ulrich Hackenberg, head of research and development at Audi, and Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche's engine chief. Reuters reports that Hackenberg and Hatz were both in senior positions of development at Volkswagen, including in engines, before joining Audi and Porsche.
On Wednesday, Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn said he was stepping down from the helm of the company in order to give it a fresh start, though he said he was unaware of any wrongdoing on his part.
Related: Volkswagen CEO steps down as diesel engine emissions scandal heats up
Volkswagen has admitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it used software in 482,000 of its diesel cars sold in the U.S. to trick emissions tests.
The EPA and the California Air Resources Board uncovered the defeat device software in the Volkswagen cars after independent analysis at West Virginia University raised questions about the cars' emissions levels.
The Volkswagen cars in question meet emissions standards tests in a laboratory or testing station, but in normal operation, they emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard, according to the EPA.
Fallout from Volkswagen's admitted trickery now includes possible criminal probes, class-action lawsuits and potentially massive fines. The company faces as much as $18 billion in penalties in the U.S. alone.
On Tuesday, the automaker said 11 million cars globally have the defeat devices.
In the U.S., the engine is found in these models:
* Jetta (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Beetle (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Audi A3 (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Golf (Model Years 2009 - 2015)
* Passat (Model Years 2014-2015)
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.