Report: Mr. Daimler AG, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, says Dieselgate will seriously impact German auto industry

Daimler AG’s chief, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, went on the record to express his worry for the German auto industry as a whole following Volkswagen AG’s major shakeup with Dieselgate, calling it a major blow to the company’s reputation for making automobiles.

Speaking to the Economic Club of Washington, Zetsche mentioned he was surprised at Volkswagen’s level of disclosure over the matter and believes that if such a major company within the German auto industry compromised the trust of the public, such an event would have a ripple effect on the country’s auto sector as a whole with consumers questioning other German makes for the same issue.

“I think the strength of ‘Made in Germany’ and of the German auto industry is a perception that these are reliable brands and you can trust them and this is a blow to our industry,” Zetsche said in his statement. “It’s up to us to rebuild that trust because we haven’t done anything wrong.”

– By: Chris Chin

Source: Economic Club of Washington via The Detroit News