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Volkswagen's U.S. CEO admits "apologies are not enough"

Xinhua, November 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Volkswagen is aware that apologies are far from enough for the automaker's emissions testing scandal, said Michael Horn, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

"We completely understand that apologies are not enough," Horn told a press conference of the 2015 Los Angeles auto show.

"We have apologized and we can't stop apologizing," he continued apologetic comments for several minutes before unveiling a production version of the Beetle Dune.

On Sept. 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation charging Volkswagen AG, Audi AG and Volkswagen Group of America for installing software to manipulate emission tests in about 482,000 four-cylinder (2.0 liter) diesel cars sold in the United States since 2008.

On Nov. 2, a second notice of violation was issued, accusing Porsche AG and Porsche Cars North America besides those mentioned in the first notice, of installing software in their diesel cars equipped with six-cylinder (3.0 liter) engines for model 2014-2016 to circumvent emission standards.

"I am personally hopeful that we will be able to announce something soon about the remedies that we have identified and which we are discussing with the agencies in the upcoming days," said Horn.

According to Horn, more than 120,000 Volkswagen customers, roughly 25 percent of those affected in the United States have signed up for the goodwill program introduced on Nov. 9 so far, which offers eligible 2.0-liter TDI owners a 500-U.S. dollar prepaid Visa card, 500 U.S. dollars in dealership credit and three years of 24-hour roadside assistance.

The scandal, which involves up to 11 million vehicles worldwide, hit Volkswagen's business significantly, making the company lose billions of dollars at capital market. It has forced its former chief executive Martin Winterkorn to resign and made the company being investigated in several countries.

"We're working closely with the EPA and CARB (California Air Resources Board) and we're cooperating fully with regulators," Horn said. Endi