Dieselgate: Six Volkswagen executives charged with fraud in Germany January 14, 2020 Six Volkswagen executives have been charged with fraud, after they were accused of “deliberately misleading” authorities and customers in the months leading up to the diesel emissions scandal in 2015 by failing to tell authorities about cheating devices. The 876-page document does not name the people accused, but says three of them “knowingly and willingly [...]
Porsche enjoys record sales despite industry struggles January 13, 2020 Porsche has powered ahead of an industry-wide sales slowdown for car makers, reporting record deliveries for 2019. The German luxury manufacturer said global deliveries rose 10 per cent to 280,000 cars in 2019, driven by demand for the Macan and Cayenne SUV models. Read more: Carmaker Porsche facing German tax investigation Meanwhile, it predicted that [...]
The best and worst ads of 2019 December 16, 2019 It has been a year of highs and lows for adland. PRs, creative agencies, and brands will be examining their advertising efforts this month, and while some will be pleased with their work, others will be looking to improve next year. To help with this process, I asked members of the marketing industry and other [...]
British drivers launch Volkswagen ‘Dieselgate’ action in High Court December 2, 2019 Tens of thousands of motorists have accused Volkswagen of fitting its cars with software to cheat emissions tests, as the UK’s biggest class action case kicked off at the High Court this morning. British drivers who bought Volkswagen diesel vehicles are seeking compensation following the Dieselgate emissions scandal. Read more: Volkswagen cuts forecasts amid downturn [...]
Volkswagen cuts forecasts amid downturn in passenger car demand November 18, 2019 German car maker Volkswagen has cut its forecasts for operating profit and sales growth because of a downturn in demand for passenger cars. “It is fair to say that the very best of the party is over,” chief financial officer Frank Witter told analysts. Volkswagen has become the latest automotive giant to warn that the [...]
Volkswagen profits soar in third quarter despite industry malaise October 30, 2019 Volkswagen has powered ahead of the gloom engulfing the global car industry, with rising summer profits driven by sport utility vehicle (SUV) sales. Despite this, the German giant warned that the global car market would “contract faster than previously anticipated in many regions of the world”. Read more: Volkswagen and Ford strengthen ties by teaming [...]
Volkswagen throws down the gauntlet to Silicon Valley on self-driving cars October 28, 2019 Europe’s biggest car manufacturer has shifted its fight against Silicon Valley’s nascent self-driving car industry up a gear. Volkswagen has announced the foundation of Volkswagen Autonomy, or VWAT, its own self-driving tech subsidiary, to take on the likes of rivals such as Google’s Waymo. Read more: Car alarm: Half of UK consumers fear driverless vehicles [...]
Volkswagen chief executive faces criminal charges in Germany over dieselgate September 24, 2019 Volkswagen’s chief executive Herbert Diess faces criminal charges of market manipulation in Germany relating to the car maker’s so-called dieselgate scandal. Herbert Diess, as well as former chief executive Martin Winterkorn and chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch were accused by German prosecutors of intentionally failing to inform investors in time about the financial impact of the [...]
The advertising a-gender: Why the ASA is targeting sexist stereotypes? September 9, 2019 Gender stereotyping is a minefield. What one person thinks is offensive is perfectly fine to someone else. The scope of this division came into focus last month, when the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – the ad industry’s independent regulator – upheld complaints against two commercials that broke new rules about gender stereotypes. One ad for [...]
Volkswagen retains access to US public sector contracts after dieselgate probe September 2, 2019 Volkswagen will reportedly still be allowed to bid for public sector contracts in the US, after concerns a watchdog probe into its diesel emissions cheating scandal may result in a ban. Instead of being excluded, Volkswagen will be made to install a second US monitor at its Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany, after an investigation by [...]