Report Clears Audi CEO Of Dieselgate Involvement

It looks as if Rupert Stadler’s Teflon® armor is still holding. Despite all of the shenanigans going on around Volkswagen Group regarding Dieselgate and who knew what when Stadler is still above the mess. He has led Audi successfully for nearly a decade and through all of the hue and cry about Dieselgate, Stadler has stayed in the clear.

He was interviewed last week by investigators from Jones Day, the American law firm hired by VW to conduct a thorough probe after Dieselgate went public a year ago. According to Automotive News Europe, VW CEO Matthias Mueller said the Audi chief was interviewed by investigators last week. He gave no further information.

However, three people familiar with the issue said the probers gave Stadler a clean bill of health. “So far nothing has been relayed to the company that would suggest to dismiss Mr. Stadler,” one of the sources close to Audi said.

The issue arose after a report in Der Spiegel magazine alleged that people inside the company had said the Audi chief executive had known about manipulation of the automaker’s 3.0-liter V-6 engine since 2010. Audi has admitted the 3.0-liter engine was equipped with the same “defeat switch” software that has provided the basis for the Dieselgate scandal that has dogged VW for more than a year.

Stadler, also a member of the automaker’s supervisory board, has reportedly discussed the situation with the board at a meeting in Wolfsburg, Germany, Friday.

VW and Audi have declined comment on the entire issue.