Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Matthias Mueller has stated that the company will begin the recall of the cars affected by the emissions scandal by January 2016. Speaking with a German newspaper, Mueller asserted that all the affected cars will be fixed by the end of 2016. “If all goes according to plan, we can start the recall in January. All the cars should be fixed by the end of 2016,” said Mueller.
In an interview given to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Mueller tried to exude positivity. He emphasized that the process of bringing Volkswagen back on track should more be an evolution than revolution. Mueller also expects the company to shine again in two to three years.
Pointing out the positive takeaways from the crisis, Mueller said “This crisis gives us an opportunity to overhaul Volkswagen’s structures – we want to make the company slimmer, more decentralised and give the brands more responsibility.”
Mueller also pointed out that the company needed to become smaller and less centralised. He also added that going further, every model and brand within the group would be examined for its positive and negative contributions to the group as a whole.
The VW Chief Executive believes that only a few of the employees were involved in the scandal that brought shame to the company worldwide, denting its reputation and bringing its stock down. He also dismissed the possibility of his predecessor having known anything about the rigging.