A new book will hit shelves next month that is said to go behind-the-scenes on Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal. It’s titled Faster, Higher, Farther: The Volkswagen Scandal and its author Jack Ewing identifies the VW whistleblower who stepped up to officials as the floor began to fall in 2015. In an article about the book, Automotive News said it received a review copy and spoke with Ewing about the contents, revealing Stuart Johnson, Volkswagen’s head of engineering and environmental office in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as the one who spoke up.
"You get the feeling from reading the documents that Johnson always felt queasy about the whole situation," Ewing told Automotive News.
Apparently Johnson spilled the beans to officials shortly before a meeting between the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Volkswagen in August 2015. The scandal broke a month later, following investigations by the CARB and the Environmental Protection Agency after discrepancies were discovered between dynamometer and real-world testing a year earlier.
According to Automotive News, CARB Deputy Executive Officer Alberto Ayala said Johnson was the first person to acknowledge software in TDI vehicles could detect when dyno-based emissions testing was taking place, thus altering parameters to meet emission standards only in those situations. Ayala is also quoted in the book as saying Johnson was violating orders from Volkswagen upper management by revealing the information. In his role at VW, Johnson had a significant role in certifying these vehicles in the first place but has not been charged, presumably in exchange for his testimony on the matter.
We all know the story from there. Volkswagen pled guilty to several criminal charges in March and was put on probation for three years, in addition to a $4.3 billion (£3.3 billion) settlement that had already been established. Nearly 500,000 cars were affected, and several Volkswagen executives are facing prison sentences for their involvement in the scandal.
Source: Automotive News
