Volkswagen has picked ex-BMW manager Hinrich Woebcken to run the North American business of its core brand as the German carmaker faces growing criticism of its handling of the emissions scandal in the United States. Woebcken's appointment aims to strengthen the VW brand's operational performance in North America, where it has been grappling with legal and image problems since it admitted last September to installing devices to cheat emissions tests in several diesel vehicle models.
Michael Horn remains head of VW Group of America, a position he has occupied since 2014, responsible for VW and the group's other brands in the United States, including Audi and ultra-luxury marques Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.
Four months after the diesel emissions scandal broke, there is no timetable for winning approval of a fix for about 500,000 affected US cars, or for lifting the government's ban on the sale of 2016 VW diesel models.
The US Justice Department this month sued Volkswagen for up to $48 billion for allegedly violating environmental laws.