Addressing Wolfsburg employees at a works meeting intended to reassure them, former Porsche CEO Matthias Müller promised employees "swift and relentless clarification" of the emissions scandal. He said that what had happened went against everything the group and its people stand for and that there was no excuse.

However he encouraged employees to take heart: "We can and we will overcome this crisis, because Volkswagen is a group with a strong foundation. And above all because we have the best automobile team anyone could wish for." He added that the company would do everything it could to ensure that Volkswagen continues to stand for good and secure jobs in the future.

Mr Müller said the first step toward achieving that was swift and relentless clarification.

"Only when everything has been put on the table, when no single stone has been left unturned, only then will people begin to trust us again," Mr Müller said.

He added: "Believe me – like you, I am impatient. But in this situation, where we are dealing with four brands and many model variants, care is even more important than speed."

Nevertheless, he announced that a project team had drawn up an action plan. Over the coming days, the customers affected would be informed that the emissions characteristics of their vehicles would be upgraded. Furthermore, the company has set up websites where customers can check whether their vehicles are affected by entering the chassis number. And the company will shortly be presenting the technical solutions to the responsible authorities – in particular the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) – for approval.

He also said that the company must now respond swiftly: "That is why we have initiated a further critical review of all planned investments. Anything that is not absolutely necessary will be cancelled or postponed. And it is why we will be intensifying the efficiency program. To be perfectly frank: this will not be a painless process."

Müller added: "At the IAA we demonstrated that the Volkswagen Group is well positioned when it comes to the key technologies of the future. We cannot afford to jeopardize this strong position now. We must make massive savings to manage the consequences of this crisis. At the same time, though, we cannot afford to economise on the future. That is something else we will also be addressing over the coming weeks and months."