Volkswagen Group of American President and CEO Michael Horn is stepping down, the company announced Thursday.
DETROIT, MI - Volkswagen Group of American President and CEO Michael Horn is stepping down, the company announced Thursday.
Horn, 54, has been a visible figure as the company deals with a huge diesel emissions scandal. VW admitted in September to rigging 482,000 of its cars in the U.S. and 11 million worldwide with software that tricks emissions tests.
Horn appeared on Capitol Hill in October, telling U.S. lawmakers that the scandal appeared to be limited to a small group of rogue engineers, and that the software in question was developed in Germany, totally out of his "jurisdiction."
In November at the LA Auto Show, he touted the company's efforts to make amends with customers with no-strings-attached gift cards. He gave an update on those efforts in January at the Detroit auto show.
"Through mutual agreement with Volkswagen AG, Horn will be leaving to pursue other opportunities effective immediately," VW said in a statement Thursday.
Hinrich J. Woebcken, who was recently announced as the new Head of the North American Region and Chairman of Volkswagen Group of America, will be president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America on an interim basis.
VW has admitted to using software, known as a defeat device, in the 2009-2015 Audi A3 and the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat TDI cars with 2.0-liter diesel engines to trick emissions tests.
The VW cars with 2-liter diesels would 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.
The company also admitted to using the software in some of its vehicles with 3.0-liter diesel engines.