VW scandal: Volkswagen suspends the head of its Kassel transmission plant

Falko Rudolph, the boss of main Volkswagen factory in Kassel, Germany, was suspended after being investigated as part of the Volkswagen emissions scandal

Falko Rudolph oversaw the development of diesel engines at VW between 2006 and 2010. (Getty)

Volkswagen has suspended the head of its main transmissions plant in Kassel.

Falko Rudolph, the boss of main Volkswagen factory in Kassel, Germany, was suspended after being investigated as part of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

Rudolph, who previously ran VW's main engines plant in Salzgitter, oversaw the development of diesel engines at VW between 2006 and 2010.

The transmission plant at Kassel is the main factory for Volkswagen exhaust systems, but it also supplies body parts and gear boxes. According to the Volkswagen website, 43 percent of the exhaust systems of Volkswagen in Europe were produced at the Kassel plant.

VW declined to comment.

The head of Volkswagen in the UK went before the Environmental Audit Committee on Thursday morning. Paul Willis said that Volkswagen had fallen short of expectations but that he knew those in charge personally and he doubted that there was intent to mislead.

Volkswagen has said that 11 million cars are affected by the emissions scandal, in which the car manufacturer used 'defeat devices' to decrease the emission of toxic nitrogen dioxide, during tests.

Additional reporting by Reuters