VW's future is increasingly being decided in China, Russia, India, the Americas and Southeast Asia. This is where we will generate most of our growth in future.
The European auto industry made a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 140 grams per kilometer. But then there was a significant change in what customers wanted in their vehicles.
As CEO, I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group.
The violations of these diesel motors by our company go against everything that Volkswagen stands for... at this time, I don't yet have the answers to all the questions. I'm utterly sorry that we have damaged trust in this way. I offer my deepest apologies to our customers, the authorities, and to the public at large for our misconduct.
Regardless of whether we are in an upturn or a downturn, our goal is to ensure the Volkswagen Group reaches the top of the automotive industry.
Growth in the Chinese automobile market has exceeded everyone's expectations.
The U.S. market has the highest priority for Volkswagen.
Combining their operating business will make Volkswagen and Porsche even stronger - both financially and strategically - going forward.
The integrated automotive group of Volkswagen and Porsche is a certainty.
