Thanks to the international emissions scandal, Volkswagen is now one of the ‘most hated’ brands on the planet according to one study. This is according to Sigwatch, a company that analysed attitudes about brands over a 12 month period.
The emissions scandal which dogged the German company last year has propelled it into seventh place globally (fourth in the UK) on the list – behind Shell, Monsanto and the World Bank.
The company joined the ranks of Shell, Monsanto, World Bank, ExxonMobil, TransCanada, Chevron, BP, Walmart, and EDF. All of those companies are regulars on the list.
Volkswagen’s spot is number 7.
Seeing how the scandal broke late in the year, that high of a ranking seems a bit harsh.
4 Comments
I don’t think it’s harsh. VW has killed a lot of people with their cheating ways. I wonder if VW will survive bye the time all the fines and lawsuits are settled.
As a long time VW owner, I sincerely hope the brand survives. Yes, they cheated. Absolutely 100% inexcusable. That said, they are one of the few companies investing in diesel technology (the world needs diesel-electric hybrids!) and they produce a quality built car. I don’t think they should be shielded from class action suits (as the US Congress is proposing to do) but longer term I believe they can recover from this and that the market is better for it if they stick around.
The ranking is not harsh – maybe not harsh enough.
As a loyal VW owner since the Rabbit days I’ve been flummoxed by the company I thought was above auto industry shenanigans.
VW should be permanently banned from business in the US and forced to buy back all affected vehicles at the original purchase price.
It’s interesting to see the range of thoughts on this. Plenty of outrage and it makes you wonder if VW will ever find its way back in the hearts of some people. It already rolled out a new Bug, maybe it’s time they really brought back the Bus or the Thing…