With the rain cloud hanging over Volkswagen Auto Group (VWAG) it's not looking good for our German friends. Whether or not the company will be forced to pay billions in fines has yet to materialize, but at this stage heads are starting to roll.
First up, Martin Winterkorn.
Next? Who knows.
Watching all of the madness unfold, Agent 001, Agent 009 and I have been swapping text messages throughout the recent days. Not only are story ideas being exchanged, but the big elephant in the room has been tossed around. And as I was taught by a much elder, wiser individual: "When there's an elephant in the room, introduce it."
Let's face it: Although many automakers have been pushing for its diesel variants, the take rate hasn't been especially strong with the exception of trucks, sport-utility vehicles, the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta and Audi A3. How many BMW 3- or 5-Series do you see wearing the "d" nameplate? How many diesel Chevrolet Cruze models do you come across?
And now this?
It seems that the backlash is quite strong too. Personally, I didn't think consumers would care too much as they still had their fuel savings. Turns out I have to eat crow now because people are pissed. I wonder if they're pissed because of the potential harm done to the environment or if it's because Volkswagen has admitted cheating. If there's one thing the public hates, it's cheaters.
All of that said, I have to ask: Is Volkswagen's Dieselgate the FINAL nail in the coffin for diesel vehicles in the U.S.?