Porsche – only on leave, then all out – Süddeutsche.de

Longtime VW engine developer and Porsche Executive Board Wolfgang Hatz leaving the company.

As Wolfgang Hatz shortly after learning of the diesel affair with VW end September last year, was suspended as Porsche development chief, surprised not really. The 57-year-old had been staying at the group go from 2007 to 2012, he headed the Engine Development at Volkswagen – So just in those years, in which the Group began of upgrading many of its diesel engines with a software that could manipulate as exhaust gas measurement. These are situations in which determined and tested well; Situations, which stretch until clear is. The one who is just on leave, is clean – or else involved in the case

Hatz it retired months back, on Tuesday then the surprising release of Stuttgart sports car manufacturer: the furloughed development chief leaves Porsche “at his own request” – while the internal investigation he had been able to prove any wrongdoing. Those looking for more clues, will not find it in the Zuffenhausen release. Wolfgang Porsche, co-owner and chairman of the sports car manufacturer, thanks Hatz for “innovative highlights such as the super sports car 918 Spyder” and praises: “That Wolfgang Hatz could celebrate the double victory of the Porsche LMP1 race car at Le Mans in June 2015 was the crowning his excellent work. ” A coronation, which then overnight had only limited value: Hatz was “have temporarily as a precaution, and” in the fall and had “since been involved in the investigation,” the company writes – and have been “no evidence of co-responsibility of Hatz result “.

Porsche lets you know the manager had” contributed to the Enlightenment “

so why does it the finish? The Personnel invites speculation a: Is there not yet anything that was revealed in the course of investigations into the longtime companion of ex-VW CEO Martin Winterkorn? Behind

the scenes dismisses you. It says: For the manager, the matter was an “unsatisfactory situation”. Therefore Hatz decided to “draw a line”. However, the cause for his employer must have been unsatisfactory: For months the Swabians worked without development chief, that would have been without end in sight. Successor is now to Michael Steiner, 51, who works in Weissach for 14 years in the Porsche Development Center; most recently as Head of Development Total Vehicles

The Diesel scandal come up on 18 September 2015, the United States, takes place -. and so is the list of those that are exchanged as a result of the affair, longer. Already in early December retired art head of the Ingolstadt-based VW subsidiary Audi, Ulrich Hackenberg, from the Board. So now the for months on leave manager Hatz.

Actually we had expected at the latest a detailed report on the state of internal investigations the annual press conference of the Group in the past week. Weeks and months VW had made an appointment the end of April, at which at least in part the findings of the investigators of the law firm Jones Day should be published. The lawyers are investigating on behalf of the Supervisory Board, as well the fraud came about and who had placed him. Under pressure from the US authorities but this has been postponed -. Indefinitely

What remains are many questions. In its annual report, the VW published in late April, puts it, there is no evidence that the Board has been involved in the manipulation of the diesel engines. Only this: The dispute with the US authorities on the diesel engines was already before 18 September 2015, the Group announced

The engine designers Wolfgang Hatz anyway, is now out – at his own request

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