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Audi engineer shows proof of cheating

Posted on 26 February, 2017

The former Audi chief of engine development, Ulrich Weiß, has produced a document in court which shows CEO Rupert Stadler ordered engineers to cheat regulations tests in July 2015. Weiß presented the incriminating document at the Arbeitsgericht Heilbronn, a German labour court. Initially, he was suspended from Audi in 2015, but Weiß was fired last week after testifying against Audi on February 15. This latest revelation centres on the Audi’s Q7 release in Hong Kong. An internal Audi presentation shown in court stated the Q7 far exceeded the 60g of NOx per kilometre threshold, according to German newspaper BILD. Weiß told the court he was asked by Audi’s head of powertrain development, Dr Thomas Heiduk, to cheat the tests in July 2015 and refused. Following more discussion, Weiß demanded the order in writing. Heiduk then sent Weiß a signed note in which board members Rupert Stadler (CEO), Ulrich Hackenberg (research and development), Werner Zimmermann (quality assurance), and Michael Neumayer (product management) echoed Heiduk’s order to cheat. The order was kept in a locked safe, and Weiß’s attorney, Hans-Georg Kauffeld, claims the engineer told his staff to resist the order. It unclear whether any illegal modifications fooled Hong Kong regulators. Proceedings in the German court will continue until March 10, when a decision is scheduled to be reached.