In 2006, Volkswagen executive Martin Winterkorn hatches a plan to boost auto sales in America. The way to do it? Clean diesel cars. But VW's engineers run into a wall, and so they take a troubling shortcut—one that a group of graduate students will inadvertently expose.Need more American Scandal? With Wondery+, enjoy exclusive seasons, binge new seasons firs ... Show More
Oct 2025
Dieselgate | Running on Fumes | 2
By 2014, Volkswagen has taken the U.S. auto market by storm with its fleet of affordable, fuel-efficient diesel cars. But a new study threatens to reveal the dirty truth behind so-called ""clean"" diesel. When the EPA comes knocking with questions, the company's very survival is ... Show More
38m 38s
Jun 2023
CLASSIC: The Great Volkswagen Cover-up, with Scott Benjamin
<p>For decades one the world's largest auto manufacturers lied to governments and the public, polluting the planet and evading the same environmental standards they themselves publicly championed. Of course, this is unfortunately a common occurrence in the murky world of corporat ... Show More
55m 32s
Sep 2024
Why Volkswagen hit the skids
<p>Volkswagen is facing a crisis. Often considered a symbol of Germany’s industrial power, it’s now reckoning with a difficult transition to electric vehicles, among other issues. And now, management is considering breaking a long-held taboo: closing German factories. Patricia Ni ... Show More
20m 13s