Mitsubishi president Tetsuro Aikawa will step down in the wake of the Japanese automaker’s fuel economy testing scandal.
According to a statement, the 62-year-old Aikawa will vacate his position on June 24. Executive vice president Ryugo Nakao will also leave the company on that date.
Mitsubishi recently admitted that it manipulated test data to alter the claimed fuel consumption figures of some of its vehicles in Japan. The scandal saw Mitsubishi’s market value plunge, prompting Nissan to swoop in and pledge some $2,18-billion to purchase a 34% controlling stake in the company.
Aikawa said that he would ask Nissan to deploy a top executive to take control of the development department at Mitsubishi, after management “exerted pressure” to meet fuel economy targets.
