VW U.S. CEO Michael Horn told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that individuals within the company acting on their own, rather than on orders from top executives, were responsible for creating and introducing the emissions-cheating software to Volkswagen diesel cars.

"This was a couple of software engineers who put this in for whatever reason," Horn told the House of Representatives Oversight and Investigations panel this week. "To my understanding, this was not a corporate decision. This was something individuals did."

Horn did not name the individuals believed to be ultimately responsible, and was not certain on the exact number of people who designed the emissions-cheating software.

VW has suspended 10 senior managers as well as three top engineers as a part of its own investigation, though it appears no official accusations have been levied against those who were suspended.

Not everyone in the Congressional hearing was buying Horn's explanation, with lawmakers finding the notion that just a handful of people could introduce such a complex system to millions of cars without any of the top-level execs knowing or sanctioning it, even passively, hard to swallow.

"Either your entire organization is incompetent when it comes to trying to come up with intellectual property, and I don't believe that for a second, or they are complicit at the highest levels in a massive cover-up that continues today," Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) said during the hearing.

Horn did disclose that he was made aware of an irregularity in emissions testing results in the spring of 2014, but that at the time there was nothing to suggest that it was being created deliberately by a system in the car with the purpose of cheating the system.

"In the spring of 2014 when the West Virginia University study was published, I was told that there was a possible emissions non-compliance that could be remedied," Horn testified. "I was informed that EPA regulations included various penalties for non-compliance with the emissions standards and that the agencies can conduct engineering tests which could include 'defeat device' testing or analysis. I was also informed that the company engineers would work with the agencies to resolve the issue. Later in 2014, I was informed that the technical teams had a specific plan for remedies to bring the vehicles into compliance and that they were engaged with the agencies about the process."

Horn also acknowledged the scenario he was describing stretched credulity, especially given the sheer number of cars which contained the rewritten software and the failure of other VW engineers and regulators to notice the discrepancy for such a long period of time.

"These events are deeply troubling." Horn conceded. "I did not think that something like this was possible at the Volkswagen Group. We have broken the trust of our customers, dealerships, and employees, as well as the public and regulators."

"I cannot accept VW's portrayal of this as something by a couple of rogue software engineers," Collins said at one point during the hearing, echoing the sentiments expressed by other lawmakers prior to the hearing and during the testimony itself.

"Let me be clear, we at Volkswagen take full responsibility for our actions and we are working with all relevant authorities in a cooperative way," Horn said. "I am here to offer the commitment of Volkswagen AG to work with this Committee to understand what happened, and how we will move forward. EPA, CARB, the U.S. Department of Justice, State Attorneys General, as well as other authorities, are fulfilling their duties to investigate this matter."

Volkswagen has yet to present a preliminary plan to the EPA regarding its recall plans, specifically on how it will seek to modify the affected vehicles. A roadmap is still expected in the coming days.

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