If one report is correct, Volkswagen execs did not simply know that their automobiles’ emission estimates have been fishy — they knew the gasoline effectivity figures have been off, too. German newspaper Bild claims that prime brass was conscious of deceptive gasoline financial system estimates a few yr in the past, or months earlier than it turned public. Former CEO Martin Winterkorn reportedly went as far as to yank one mannequin off the market, the Polo TDI BlueMotion, as a result of its gasoline consumption was just too far off the mark (18 % above estimates).

The automaker is declining to touch upon what it knew prematurely, and it maintains that it pulled the diesel-powered Polo as a consequence of “subdued demand,” not dodgy gasoline scores. Deal with Bild‘s claims with warning, then. If there’s any fact to the story, although, it could possibly be notably damning. It means that VW knew about a number of issues with its automobiles’ environmental figures, however largely sat on them till the emissions scandal broke in September.