• Home
  • News
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Best of the Year in Business

How a Five-Person Team Exposed VW

Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 26, 2015, 2:00 PM ET
Emissions Falsification Scandal Rocks Volkswagen
Used cars of German carmaker Volkswagen stand on display at a Volkswagen car dealership on September 22, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Photograph by Sean Gallup — Getty Images

The staff of Coins2Day recently assembled the best business moments of 2015. Here’s one of our picks.

Surely Volkswagen (VLKAY) feared the competition. Maybe it worried about regulators. But chances are it didn’t give a fig about the little lab at West Virginia University testing diesel cars on American roads. It should have: It was this scrappy, five-man team of mechanical engineers that first caught on to the German giant’s emissions-cheating ways, kicking off the biggest business scandal of the year (and possibly the decade). VW, the world’s eighth-largest company in 2014, has lost 34% of its market value since the scandal broke in mid-September.

This article is part of Coins2Day’s Best in Business 2015 package of highlights and lowlights of the year in business, politics and the economy by the writers and editors of Coins2Day. To see the entire package,click here.

For more on the Volkswagen scandal, watch this Coins2Day video:

About the Author
Erika Fry
By Erika Fry
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Global 500
  • Coins2Day 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Coins2Day Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Coins2Day Brand Studio
  • Coins2Day Analytics
  • Coins2Day Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Coins2Day
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Coins2Day Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Coins2Day Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.