Volkswagen CEO steps down as Canada probe begins

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Volkswagen’s CEO is stepping down.

Martin Winterkorn says it’s best for the company as it grapples with the emissions scandal. He says Volkswagen needs a fresh start, including personnel.

Winterkorn says he’s acting in the interests of the company, although he says he’s not aware of any wrongdoing on his part. A successor has not been announced.

Meanwhile, Environment Canada has launched its own investigation into Volkswagen, after the revelation it had rigged emissions tests. The scandal erupted after U.S. regulators said the German automaker programmed some of their diesel engine cars to turn on emission controls only during testing, tricking regulators into thinking the cars were complying with clean air laws.

Environment Canada says that violates Canadian legislation and regulations and the company could face fines of $6 million for each offence. In Canada, there have been over 100,000 Volkswagen and Audi cars with diesel engines sold since 2009.

So far the scandal has cost Volkswagen more than $35 billion in market value.