Also, although it&#x27;s not <i>proof</i>, the simple &quot;follow the money&quot; principle should hint at the truth here. I can&#x27;t see what 2 engineers would gain from putting so much time and effort into independently creating &quot;defeat devices&quot;. In comparison, VW had a <i>lot</i> to gain from fudging the figures (if they hadn&#x27;t been caught).<p>If I were an engineer at VW I&#x27;d be hunting for a new job <i>right now</i>. The company seems to have no problems pinning systemic failure on individual scapegoats, and I wouldn&#x27;t want to hang around to be caught in the next round of ritual sacrifice.